

H ETTY 


-miWM 


GEYBERT 




';m 




















\ 











r 





«• 







































































{ . 















t 























* 


























































































































































































































































































































— 






















•i 


























































































































- - • ■' 





















HETTY GEYBERT 






































































































































. 

1 






















\ 








. . ' 


v,;' ; v 

















HETTY GEYBERT 


BT 

GEORG HERMANN 


TRANSLATED BY 

ANNA BARWELL 


NEW 



YORE 


GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 
1924 







I 


GIFT 

PUBUSMEft 

* •»« 





Printed in Great Britain by 

• nrvrts BROTHERS, LIMITED, THE GRESHAM PRESS, LONDON AND WOKING 























I 


(To 

MY WIFE 







y 





hs 




















■ 














































































































































































































* 

’ 






























































































































































































































































































































































































PREFACE 


I CRAVE permission of my readers to tell a tale here, 
simply for the sake of telling it and for no other reason. 
I will tell and tell until I lose myself therein as a silk¬ 
worm hides herself in the golden thread she spins. 
Look upon it as a whim of mine, a toy put together, 
piece by piece, Heaven alone knows why. Call it what 
you will but—listen ! For if I do not tell this tale, there 
will be no one to tell it to you and it might be lost 
as though it had never been—and that would be a 
pity. For those who took part in its happenings will 
breathe no word of them ; not one syllable will you 
ever hear from their lips, for they have grown a little 
silent, since they withdrew, tens of years ago, from 
this life’s hurly-burly, to await in the peace and quiet 
of meditation the coming of that day when chain and 
measuring rod shall mark roads and streets through 
their present dwelling-place—a lonely island amidst the 
noisy waves of city life—and where their modest 
ivy-covered mounds, round which the children play 
in the afternoon sunshine, shall give place to heaps of 
granite slabs and stones for the busy highway with its 
pavements and gutters. For the life of all of whom 
I tell is but legend now. Nay, more, it has passed into 
nothing ; their place, as the psalmist says, knoweth 
them no more. 

And, therefore, let me speak of them, for it is 
injustice, crying injustice, that anything that has once 

9 


10 


HETTY GEYBERT 

been should sink into such absolute nothingness, that 
a bare fifty or sixty years after our life in this doubt¬ 
ful place, when we have withdrawn from life’s scene, 
not a living soul should breathe our story, not a 
wind of heaven whisper it. Is it for this we live, 
for this we pass our days in joy and grief, for this 
alone we wear those chains so inextricably interwoven 
of the iron rings and golden links of happiness and 
sorrow ? Is no one to know what we have borne ? 

Why should no word bear testimony to our life, why 

should not we who are still here catch the last echo 
of men and things, why not once more roll the stone 
up the toilsome mountain-side ere it is lost for ever in 
the depths of the dark ravine? 

If your footsteps should ever stray into this corner 
of Berlin, what would you picture to yourself as you 
study those letters with their curls and flourishes, 
long since bereft of the last trace of former gilt, and 
decipher that *- our dear niece, Henrietta Jacoby, nee 
Geybert, entered this life on May 7, 1812, and fell 
asleep October 3, 1840”? What more than that 

she was not thirty years old, and that, maybe, some¬ 
thing had gone amiss with the marriage, since she is 

remembered as niece and not as wife ? And what 

does the stone immediately opposite tell you with its 
inscription, setting forth that “ the honoured and 
respected merchant, Solomon Geybert, an example of 
brotherly love, was born on May 3, 1775, in Berlin, and 
died there on September 10, 1850”? What more 
than that the man was seventy-five years old and a 
kinsman, perhaps, of this Henrietta Geybert? If you 
study the stone beside him, you will think that the wife, 
Frederica Geybert, adorned with many virtues, doubt¬ 
less for long years trod life’s path by his side and, if 


HETTY GEYBERT H 

you wander farther through this resting-place, you will 
perhaps conclude that Jason Geybert, who found his 
modest bed five rows farther back, and Ferdinand 
Geybert, whose old, gouty bones rest beneath an utterly 
neglected mound, also belong to this same human story. 
But more than this you will certainly not gather from 
them. 

Now I know more of them and will tell it to you. 
You do not see why you, who have enough to do 
with your own sorrows, should trouble yourselves with 
the affairs of others, and those, moreover, past and 
gone half a century ago ! But of that I take no heed. 
In this I am like the careful housewife who can never 
love and will not suffer waste in her domain ; for, be 
it bread or human life, it is and ever remains—God’s 
own gift. 


GEORG HERMANN. 


















} v | • 


•4 

































• • ' ' 




- . 







• v ! ' • /, r 










■ • 



















- 


" 

r 

■ - - " ' •« 




, 












’■ • . ,t ! 
















\ 


















t*. 1 






■ 






m - . 




















■ 




■ 

. 


















- 





~ W, 










. 1 

- 












> ► 




























/ 



















HETTY GEYBERT 


I SUPPOSE there is barely anyone left who can 
remember how Hetty Geybert, at that time, went down 
Konig Street. The wind was sweeping clouds of dust 
before it from the Alexander Platz, for it was the first 
real fine, blue day of that spring. Little white clouds 
floated across the sky between the small figures on the 
roof of the King’s Colonnades—those stone figures, so 
full of life and movement. 

In New Friedrich Street the trees behind the garden 
walls were turning red and brown, the poplars were 
hanging out their catkins and the elms stood bedecked 
with blossoms to the very tips of all their tiniest twigs, 
whilst the lilac bushes, drooping over the fence, even 
showed fat green buds whose sharp points were ready 
to burst in the morrow’s sunshine. Round the tower 
of the parish church the jackdaws were flying in hot 
haste, hither and thither, up and down, like black 
butterflies mad with love, and down the whole length 
of Kloster Street stood the hooded carts from the 
Goose Market, like great brown mushrooms in the 
sun’s white glare. 

But the narrow houses, with their gaily painted fronts, 
simple plaster figures and ruddy roofs like red hats, 
lay in the sunlight with their cellar arches and the 
stone benches beside them, with their many bright 
little window-panes framed in white and provided with 
reflecting mirrors on every storey—there they stood like 
two rows of grenadiers, lined up and presenting arms 
to greet Beauty’s coming. 

Between them, along the uneven cobble-stones, some 
as big as a child’s head, that paved the roadway with 

13 


14 HETTY GEYBERT 

its deep bridged gutters on either side, separating it 
from the footpath,—along these cobble-stones the 
coaches, many old and dusty, many bright and clean, 
but all alike heavily laden, passed, amidst cheers, on 
their way into the wide world. 

And not only coaches, but heavy wagons, drawn by 
equally heavy horses, with jingling brasses hanging 
from their plaited manes, rolled out of the town. 

But in the New Friedrich Street an old ragman, 
with horn spectacles on his nose, was standing in front 
of his cart, examining the linen rags the children 
brought him, dignified and serious amidst the hubbub 
and insistent chattering of the high little voices. Here 
and there, too, the fields of red and blue hyacinths 
in the white china pots of the florists’ shops had 
encroached so far on to the pavement that passers-by 
had to balance themselves along the kerb on the very 
edge of the gutter. 

No, I suppose there is barely anyone left who can 
remember how on this April day of 1839 Hetty 
Geybert walked along Konig Street. But people 
in those days stopped . . . and a lawyer’s clerk, 
coming from the Town Court, looked and looked after 
her and then, under the pseudonym “ Eginhard,” wrote 
a sonnet to “ the gracious vision that passed by,” a 
sonnet which, when printed in the next number of the 
Fashionable World , gave rise to the strangest surmises. 
A linen mercer of Fischer Street answered it at once, 
also in sonnet form, bewailing—quite without cause 
though—the youth’s fair soul overshadowed by the 
madness of a guilty passion. 

What a pretty girl she was ! How she tripped along 
in her little broad-buckled shoes, with her silver-grey 
garments like some fair evening in spring ! Her three 
rows of flounces shimmered in a rustling dance, whilst 

her wide shoe-ribbons actually fluttered in the breeze_ 

wide silken ribbons of rosebuds on a silver ground_ 

and the long fringes of the Indian shawl draped over 
her broad shoulders and drawn down between the wide 
leg-of-mutton sleeves, quivered at every step she took. 


HETTY GEYBERT 


15 


Her gloves were pale blue and she was carrying a 
fish-net, a sunshade with a jointed handle and a reticule 
adorned with a lyre stitched in black beads. 

Like all the Geyberts, she held herself firmly erect 
and went her way, looking neither to right nor left, 
with a wonderful touch of pride both in walk and 
bearing, as she rustled along in her silver-grey taffeta, 
like a five-master under full sail. She knew that people 
stopped to look after her . . . but it was her due. 
Everything about her was touched with proud beauty— 
her tall stature, her long but not thin face, with the 
high white forehead and heavy eyelids and the firmly 
closed mouth, above which lay, like a faint shadow, 
a delicate touch of down. Her hair was carefully 
arranged under her large, shady hat on each side of 
temples and cheeks in three rolls, black and shining 
like a dark wood frame round an English water-colour. 
Strength, vitality and a touch of melancholy were 
mingled in that face with its Southern colouring. 

Those eyes, too, dark, almond-shaped, with their 
blue whites, were what had made all the Geybert men, 
from the grandfather down, into rakes and women- 
hunters. They bore testimony to qualities, did these 
dark eyes, as puzzling as any riddle and never to be 
found out, because the beauty, whose handmaid they 
were, was all unconscious of such qualities and might 
possibly not even possess them. Such a bearing and 
face brought with them something tragic, for they 
aroused man’s curiosity and then must needs cause 
disappointment, for such charm, such grace and health, 
a soul with such tender bloom can only belong to 
those whom we kiss in our dreams by night. 

Hetty was no longer very young, looked older, more 
developed and mature than she really was. But she was 
beautiful. Oh how beautiful Hetty Geybert was l 

But people turned to look, not only at her, but also 
at an old, very old, man, with a beardless, shrivelled 
face, who’was standing, like a remnant of bygone years, 
at the corner of the Steinweg. No one went past him, 
either, without looking more closely at him and turning 


16 


HETTY GEYBERT 

round to look once more and see if he had not a pigtail 
hidden away under his coat collar. A couple of little 
girls in short plaid skirts with broad white starched 
lace on their pantalettes even stopped for a time to stare 
at him openly, as at some veritable sea monster. No, 
he did not own a pigtail, but on his powdered, stiff 
short wig, nearly twice as broad above as below, he 
wore a top hat of rough brown felt with a curved brim 
such as people wore at the time when the French were 
in the land. He had, too, high yellow top-boots and 
a long, very long, frock-coat with gilt buttons. On 
his double-breasted waistcoat dangled heavy trinkets, 
signet rings and little silver carriages and horses, and 
the flashing scarf-pin in his folded stock was a great 
striped cornelian. 

There the old man stood, his legs somewhat apart 
and leaning with both hands on his gold-headed cane 
as he studied with unswerving attention two post-horses 
trotting past and looked after them with his nutcracker 
face, his mouth wide open and his eyes protruding. 
Hetty caught sight of him in the distance, laughed and 
waved the fish-net, but he had eyes for nothing but the 
horses, which he studied with the gravity of a 
connoisseur. 

“ Good morning. Uncle Eli ! ” 

/‘Well, Hetty, well, well, where are you off to, my 
child ? J 


“ To the market, Uncle, to buy a fish ” 
“A pike?” 

" Yes, Uncle.” 

For this evening? ” 

“ Yes, Uncle.” 


And what’s the price of pike just now?” 

Not less than fifteen groschen ” 

tt ' 1 6SS than f l fteen g ro schen ! In my young days 
Hetty —his speech was very slow and precise as 
though he rolled the words over his tongue and chewed 
them as he spoke m my young days we did not 
pay five groschen-not for a fish like that; you know 
here by the arch where it is written up, ‘ Peter once 



HETTY GEYBERT 17 

abode with a fisherman ; therefore blessing rests upon 
this house.’ ” 

“ Tell me, Uncle Eli, what is Aunt Minna doing? ” 

Uncle Eli slowly lifted one hand from his walking- 
stick, and looked at her seriously as he laid his fingers 
on her shoulder. 

“ My daughter, I ask you what is this life of ours? 
Now, what is it? My only treasure up there.” Uncle’s 
stick pointed down the Hohenstein Road away to the 
distant Marien Church. 

“ But, for Heaven’s sake, what is wrong with her, 
Uncle? ” 

“ She is not even sure if she can go to Solomon’s 
to-night.” 

“ But what is the matter? ” Hetty asked in relief, for 
she had really thought it was a case for the 
undertaker. 

“ Just think, now just think, Baumbach had actually 
to come three times yesterday to cup her, such a state 
she was in. On Thursday she brought home a fowl 
from the Gendarme Market. Four hours it boiled. 
We couldn’t get a knife into it. I said : ‘ Minnie, don’t 
eat it.’ But your aunt did eat some.” 

“ Do you think, Uncle Eli, this evening she will-” 

“ My Minnie is like that. She drinks a cup of 
chocolate, that pretty little cup of hers, you know, 
when Baumbach is cupping her, as if it were a mere 
nothing.” 

“ Is Aunt, then, better now? ” 

“ I am not sure, but I think so. For she wanted to 
show Minna the door to-day.” 

“ Oh, well, then she is nearly herself again.” 

“ Come a step or two with me, my child. I am just 
going down to the coach office. To-day the Prenzlau 
coach was driving two new East Prussian horses. 
Nagler knows me by now. He asked, so I hear, who I 
was, because I always look at his team. No doubt he 
thinks I’m a democrat. Pletty ”—he stopped short—“ I 
tell you, I can’t understand men nowadays. They are 
all too queer for me. But with horses—there I know 

2 


18 


HETTY GEYBERT 


where I am, every bit as well as his lordship Coach- 
master Nagler. You may take that as true of your 
old uncle. Do you hear the chimes from the parish 
church? ‘Keep—faith—ev-er.’” Uncle Eli pulled 
up suddenly and took off his brown top hat with a 
flourish that raised a cloud of powder from his short, 
cropped wig. 

“ Bon jour, Mr. Under-Commissioner, bon jour with 
all my heart.” The constable nodded and went 
calmly on. 

“ He knows me,” Uncle Eli said with pride. “ What 
are you laughing at ? If you were a sensible lass, 
Hetty, you wouldn’t laugh at your old uncle. Nowa¬ 
days, I tell you, nowadays, one has to be good friends 
with any rogue of a night-watchman, for who knows 
how he is connected with the Chief Justice.” 

Again Eli stopped short. 

“ Look here, Hetty, doesn’t your Uncle Jason come 
along like a lame sea monster ? And what sort of 
Latin beggar has he picked up again ? Wherever does 
he get them all from? ” 

Uncle Jason sure enough ! The only uncle Hetty 
really loved ; the youngest, a bachelor, rather the 
“ enfant terrible ” of the family ; to speak plainly, 
somewhat of a rake, but one with tact and culture. 
He had limped a little ever since they put a shot right 
through his left hip at Grossbeeren, where he was 
express rider for Biilow, whose service he had entered as 
secretary earlier in his youth, when he still sang Arndt’s 
and Korner’s songs. Now he sang Beranger’s. He 
limped a little, it is true, but was certainly not in any 
other way the least like a lame sea monster. Tall and 
slim, thin indeed, well-preserved for forty-eight, a trifle 
grey, with clear-cut features and clean shaven, except 
for narrow side-whiskers from ear to chin. He wore 
a straight-brimmed top hat, a bottle-green coat, 
tightly fitting and full-skirted, long, with a double row 
of buttons, and the collar so broad and high that 
it hid half the back of his head. With the coat he wore 
quite light narrow trousers with straps, after the very 


HETTY GEYBERT 19 

latest fashion ; above the red silk waistcoat appeared the 
ample folds of a black neckerchief, broad and full, 
fastened by a pin representing a golden lyre with 
silver strings. And Jason had drawn his chin 
in soldierly fashion firmly down inside the upstanding 
points of his high, stiffly starched collar. 

He came across the road a little en grand seigneur, 
carefully avoiding the puddles, as he beckoned to a 
tall, fair man who was following him in awkward shy¬ 
ness. He was no dandy like Jason, but a little care¬ 
lessly dressed in blue coat, yellow waistcoat and a soft, 
slouch-hat. 

Jason stood before the two, stiff as a ramrod, with a 
merry twinkle in his eye. It was plain enough that he 
was a born tease. “ Bon jour, ma chere amie, bon 
jour, ma bien aimee,” he said, with a bow to Hetty. 
Then he turned to Uncle Eli. 

“ Well, you old nutcracker. This just suits you, 
doesn’t it? Rather different from your old nags, to 
go out walking with such a pretty girl ! But I’ll tell 
Aunt Minna. Yes, I’ll tell her this evening.” 

“ Now, Jason ’’—Uncle Eli shook his head thought- 
f u lly—“ why do that, when you know how. queer 
she has grown lately ? She is always imagining all 
kinds of tales about me, and yet, Heaven knows, I am 
really a steady man ! ” 

“ That’s what he says now ’’—and Jason winked at 
Hetty. “ But I knew him in earlier days 1 ” Mean¬ 
time his companion still stood a few steps away, uncer- 
tain whether to wait or to go on. 

“ Now, Kossling, come along. ‘ Sans gene et sans 
souci.’ Dr. Friedrich Kossling—Herr Elias Geybert, 
now head of Geybert’s, my father s brother \ . every 
Wednesday afternoon he has played cribbage with old 
Frit z .” 

Uncle Eli again raised his brown hat and a cloud 
of powder with it, then drew out a small enamel watch, 
quite small, with an engraved silver dial, and. held it 
close up to his eyes. “ If I don’t go, they’ll drive off, 
he said, and went without further leave-taking. 


20 


HETTY GEYBERT 

“ Good-bye, Uncle, then, till this evening/ 1 Hetty 
called after him. But he did not turn his head. Jason 
looked straight in front of him. 

“ At seventy-nine we shan’t be like that. I tell you, 
they’ll be throwing my bones to bring down the apples 
from the trees.” 

“ Seventy-nine ! He could tell many a tale, couldn’t 
he. Demoiselle? ” 

” Well, no, Kossling, he has had no adventures ; he 
is just an old ostler. Quadrupeds have always been 
more to him than bipeds, a taste I can well understand. 
According to Hegel, man is a creature endowed with 
reason, but I share his predilection for horses. But, 
Kossling, do you already know my niece, Hetty Gey- 
bert ? See, here you have three generations of us 
side by side, the old nutcracker, me and her . . . 
Dr. Friedrich Kossling. Hetty, I gave you a little 
while ago his tale in The Companion. 

Hetty curtsied. “ Of course I know you ! Do you 
not write for the Fashionable World as well? ” 

“ Now and then, Demoiselle.” 

But don t let us take root here I Hetty, where are 
you going? ” 

“ I have to buy something more for this evening.” 

“ We will come with you.” 

” But perhaps that will inconvenience Demoiselle 
Hetty.” 

“ Wliy should it? I am going to the market ! ” 

“May I carry the fish-net, Demoiselle?” 

Hetty looked at him with a smile, and the tall 
fair man blushed like a schoolboy. 

That is, if it is allowed. Why do you laugh at me 
Demoiselle? ” ' 

“ Not at you, at all. But that waistcoat is one of 
our make, H.M.B-. 17.” 

“ Are these waistcoats made at your father’s works ? ” 

Hetty looked serious and bit her lip without answer¬ 
ing, whilst Kossling, when he saw that he had touched 
a sore spot, gave an embarrassed pull to his neckerchief 

“ Ah, no, Kossling,” put in Jason, as he limped at 


HETTY GEYBERT 


21 


his side. And there was none of his usual irony now 
in his quiet, friendly tone. “ It is my brother Solomon 
who manufactures the waistcoats. Hetty’s father has 
long since put on immortality. It was a pity ; 

I would gladly have done it for him, for I had 
nothing to lose, but he stayed over there at 
once whilst I came home again. He was the 
best of the four of us ; that you can see, too, in the 
girl. But, Kossling, tell me : is it not always like that ? 
The rubbish survives. Borne dies but the Piicklers 
and Menzels live, grow and flourish.” His wrath grew 
as he spoke. “ Without a thought we staked our 
lives for a matter not worth twopence—no, not even 
a brass farthing. And we did not really need to do 
it. My poor brother paid dearly enough for his part ; 
and this he took Hetty’s hand—” and a silhouette 
is all I have left of him. But this is most like him.” 

For a while they walked on silently, side by side, 
each lost in his own thoughts. 

“ Kossling, do you know, I have twice in my life 
acted very stupidly, first in 1813—we were all much 
better off before then, I can assure you ; ever since, 
the world has rolled backwards—and then in 1825, 
when I .persuaded myself I had not enough to live 
on. Well, it didn’t last long : opening the cloth busi¬ 
ness and winding it up was, so to speak, all one. 
And since then, money actually has run short now and 
then. I tell you my eldest brother, Solomon, is the 
only human being I really envy. He eats, drinks, 
sleeps, plays whist, l’hombre and patience with his 
wife, manufactures waistcoats—H.M.B. 17—and necker¬ 
chiefs, exports shawls, keeps his books in Italian, 
Spanish, modern Greek, double and triple entry, and the 
only things that can excite him are a remittance from 
Sommerfeld or English bills of exchange at a long date 
instead of a short. 

” You live with your uncle, Demoiselle Hetty? ” 

” Yes. As long as I can remember . . . they 
brought me up.” 

” So they are really like father and mother to you? ” 


22 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Jason answered for her. 

44 Well, no, Kossling, we can’t say that exactly. My 
sister-in-law only loves one person in the whole world 
and that is herself, pure and simple. And my brother, 
with the passing years, has grown into nothing but 
double and triple entry.” 

“ Now, Uncle Jason, you know that isn’t true.” 

“ Well, comme vous voudrez, ma belle Henriette ! 
But I tell you, Kossling, you know how it is. One 
comes into a great assembly of people, a tea, a party, 
a family, and scents out a relative, a brother, a sister, 
a kind heart under the masks. That is how it has been 
with us two . . . but, in spite of that, my niece has 
neither father nor mother.” 

“ We will turn down Spandau Street here,” said 
Hetty ; 44 in the Whey Market there is a woman who 

sells very cheaply.” 

“ Now, Doctor, I expect you are thinking you will 
be late at Drucker’s ? ” 

Kossling started. Fon he had been utterly lost in 
his contemplation of Hetty Geybert as of a beautiful 
picture and had forgotten all else. As his eyes stroked 
her hair, and gently caressed the soft skin of her 
temples, he had actually felt the physical contact, the 
sense of touch in his finger-tips until he was almost 
shocked at himself. 

“ Were we going to Drucker’s? I would rather look 
at a few papers at Steheli’s ; we never know any news 
nowadays.” 

“ We can do the one and not leave the other undone. 
But first the fish has to be bought, and you shall 
see, Doctor, how well I can manage witches. 

A little, ragged child, a pale, bare-footed twelve- 
year-old girl, accosted Kossling : 

“ Oh, my lord, do buy a bunch of violets for your 
young lady. I’m that hungry, not one farthing have I 
earned to-day.” 

Hetty laughed. Kossling’s cheeks flamed as he laid 
his hand on the pale little dirty creature’s head. 

44 Well, child, what’s the price?” 


HETTY GEYBERT 


28 


“ Only a ha’penny the bunch.” 

“ Tell us, then, how do you know that it is the 
lord’s young lady? ” said Jason in amusement. 

The child, quick to see that perhaps the ha’penny 
might in this case turn out a whole penny, answered 
without hesitation : 

“ iWell, anyone can see that. Such a beautiful young 
lady ; and how he keeps on looking at her, sort of side¬ 
ways, does his lordship.” 

Jason shook with laughter, whilst Hetty, somewhat 
annoyed, fingered the tips of her pale blue gloves and 
Kossling turned red as a lobster. He gave the penny 
to the child and, with a deep bow, handed the sweet 
purple flowers to Hetty. Jason took two bunches as 
well, and gave one to Hetty as he kissed her hand. 

“ You see, Kossling, I have an uncle’s privileges.” 

The other bunch Jason twisted in his fingers as he 
walked on singing : 

“ Of violets blue the wreath she wore, 

When first to dance I asked her; 

My Nancy love whom I adore. 

Then in my arms I clasped her.” 

He knew for whom it was meant, too. He was 
never at a loss to know that, even if it was not always 
the same Nancy. 

“ Demoiselle Hetty, have you ever seen the beds of 
hyacinths in the Frucht Street? What they will be, 
when they are a little more out, say in a week or a 
fortnight—then you must go ! There is a high platform, 
and from it you look over a sea of colour, over a great 
sweet-scented palette. Of course we have plenty of 
green and flowers, too, in Berlin, in the cellars and 
markets, but that is really Dutch, tropical.” 

“ Every year at this season we say we will go, 
but Aunt has not found time yet ; besides, she dislikes 
driving in a cab for fear she might be tipped out.” 

“ I wouldn’t venture either, in her place. Just fancy, 
Demoiselle, if they unyoked your horses, as they are 


24 HETTY GEYBERT 

doing for Taglioni now in Vienna.” The words slipped 
out, though he was half-terrified at his own boldness. 

” Doctor, Doctor,” scolded Jason, “ don’t make this 
little girl more conceited than she is. Doesn’t she 
prance along already like a three-year-old before a 
landaulette? ” 

No, no, they won’t unyoke the horses for me, no 
fear of that ! ” 

Perhaps, Herr Geybert, you will go to look at the 
hyacinths this year, and you must show them to your 
niece.” 

Doctor, Doctor ! ” Jason said again, as he put up 
his eyeglasses and fixed his glance on the tall, fair, 
awkward man. 

Oh yes, Uncle, you will take me,” Hetty begged. 

“ To hobble beside you as treasure-keeper ! Hetty, 

I tell you, 111 have to speak seriously to your aunt 
to-day.” 

“Oh well, of course, if you think it wouldn’t 
do . . 

* Of course I’ll take you sometime, Hetty,” her 
uncle answered, "in a fine coach, too, with an out¬ 
rider.” Then, changing the subject : 

“ Doctor, you mentioned Taglioni just now. Did 
you ever see in Berlin, Sonntag, that little golden 
singer. What are Taglioni and her hop dances, what 
Fanny Elsler, in comparison with her ? I tell you that, 
even with my poor lame legs, I once yoked myself 
before her carriage here in the Alexander Platz. Those 
are bygone days, Doctor. . . . Berlin then could still 
boast of a theatre.” 

They had reached the Whey Market, and Jason 
clapped Kossling’s shoulder as he pointed to the prison 
remarking : ’ 

“ We two will join Uncle Dambach up there some 
day yet. 

There s my friend,” cried Hetty, as she went up 
to a colossal market woman sitting in a shelter, a cross 
between a shop and a wooden box, which she entirely 
filled. Beside her stood a fish-tub filled with rippling, 


HETTY GEYBERT 


25 


splashing, churning fish—little char, large-scaled, 
slippery carp, tench and perch, and amongst them long, 
narrow green pike as motionless as statues. What a 
giant this woman was ; with bare arms like a slaughter¬ 
man, a flowered, yellow, cotton gown, a big straw hat 
and under it a face as big as a pancake and pock¬ 
marked as if it had been pressed in a muffin iron. 

“ Now, what did you want then, my Fraulein? Fine 
pike ; the big ones fifteen groschen to-day,” she sang 
in a shrill monotone. 

Jason had dashed his hand into the fish-tub, caught 
a pike by the tail and swung the glistening fish this 
way and that, scattering water drops on every side. 

“ Now, my woman, what price the stickleback? ” he 
asked innocently. 

But there he found his match ; for the fish woman, 
as soon as she had recovered from her first surprise, 
stuck her arms well akimbo and began to rate him. 

“ What, you’re for making a fool of me, you cripple¬ 
legged rascal, with your stiff starchery up your blown- 
out calf chops ! You’d best not let me lay my hands 
on you.” 

“ But, my good woman, we want to buy the pike I ” 

“ Buy it, then. But my pike are not to be grabbed 
by the tail. How would you like it yourself? ” 

Jason gave in, for he saw if he didn’t there would 
be something said not very fitting for refined ears. 
Meantime Hetty was bargaining for an enormous fellow 
with a pointed head, a regular brigand amongst pike, 
and offering twelve and a half groschen for him instead 
of fifteen. They came to terms for thirteen and a half, 
after the woman had assured her that, rather than sell 
him to such customers for twelve and a half, she would 
salt him and take him home. 

Kossling had the fish put into the net, where it 
flapped and gasped amongst the entangling meshes, 
and no power on earth, he said, would induce him to 
let Demoiselle Hetty carry sucli a load. 

Hetty begged for her net, but in vain ; though they 
killed him he would not hear of it. 


26 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Jason told him it was certainly less fitting for him 
to carry the fish-net than for his niece. But Kossling 
remained firm and said if people thought he was a 
serving-man, it would only give him pleasure to be 
able to pass as her servant. Then Jason tried to insist 
that at least he should take hold of the handle as well, 
but Kossling would not hear of that either. 

“ Well, then, Doctor, if you help me to carry the 
fish home, you must help us, too, to eat it.” 

“ Yes, Kossling. You must come with me this 
evening to my brother’s. Share toil, share spoil.” 

Then the big, awkward doctor, a very child in social 
matters, grew shy and frightened. No, he had never 
thought of such a thing, he couldn’t possibly accept 
the invitation ; and besides, he didn’t know if the uncle 
would like it. In any case, they couldn’t ask him to 
another man’s table. 

Oh yes, he could, Jason answered, for he had a 
ten per cent, share in his brother’s manufactory and 
therefore a proprietary right over one tenth of the 
fish, and therefore he was always allowed to bring one 
guest. Of course he must not eat more than one piece 
of fish, if he did not wish to diminish his—Uncle 
J ason’s—income. 

Hetty, much amused at Kossling’s embarrassment, 
assured him he need not take that too seriously or feel 
afraid ; she would give him half her slice as well. 

“ If you will give me half your slice, yes. I’ll come,” 
Kossling answered, and glanced down his legs to see if 
he was really the same man as before. 

His homage in no way displeased Hetty, for one 
glance had shown her that this man, with his awk¬ 
ward manner, was, in comparison with all her other 
flatterers, like a clean white sheet beside thick records 
of crime. 

“ Well, then, you will come to my brother’s to-day. 
Doctor, and I will call for you. You will meet people 
there of a new type for you, not always pleasant, but 
with their good side, however. And why not ? We can’t 
all have literary gifts.” 


HETTY GEYBERT 27 


As they strolled up Spandau Street again, Uncle 
Jason had here and there to limp behind the other 
two, since there was no room for three to walk abreast 
on the rough, narrow strip of pavement, but not with¬ 
out raging and arguing that it was really Kossling who 
ought to walk behind, as the lady was his Jason s - 
niece and no connection of Kossling’s. But he only 
got as answer that, since he had had the privilege for 
so many years of treading life’s road beside her, he 
surely couldn’t grudge Kossling some share in that 
privilege ; in fact, in accordance . with . Prussian 
common law, he proclaimed equal rights in nieces 


for all. 

When they had once more reached the corner of 
Konig Street, Hetty said : “ Well, now I must cross ; 

we live over there.” 

“ The pike, though, shall not leave my hands before 
I know for certain that it is to go into the pot. Besides, 
I must see the house to be able to find it again. Berlin 
is so poor in things worth seeing. . .. So this, is 
where you live—nice, very nice ; a poet’s dwelling 
by rights, with its laurel wreaths under the windows. 
I wonder how long the house has been built ; forty years 
perhaps. Where is your window ? 

“ Don’t trouble about a serenade. Hetty sleeps to 
the back,” teased Jason. # 

“ You must excuse me. I am quite beside myself 
to-day. Everyone is happy in his own way, and I 
am always like this when I meet with a thing of 

beauty.” w . . 

“Happy or beside yourself?” Jason innocently 

inquired. , — 

“ Both, friend of my heart, darling of the Bran¬ 


denburg Muses.” 

For a long time they stood at the broad double door, 
said good-bye five times at least, but could not part, 
until there appeared above them at the window in the 
first storey a big, full, white cap and a voice cried 
a long, slow “ Het—ty, Het- ty. 

Jason waved his hat as he declaimed . 


28 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ At every glance he gave them 
They shook with mortal fright ; 
And trembled at each gesture, 

As 'twere some dreadful sight. ” 


Do you know, Kossling, who sings that ? Our 
friend, our friend Dr. Ludwig Liber, alias Ludwig 
Lesser. We could have loved you more, Lesser, if 
you had not written.” 

Good-bye, Doctor, you will come this evening?” 

“ No, no, I only accepted in fun.” 

“ Don,t worry, Hetty, I’ll bring him with me.” 

Yes. 111 tell Aunt at once that you will honour 

us.” 

Het ty, Het-ty,” came once more the long, 

shrill tones. 

“ Well, till we meet ! ” She had taken off her 
glove and stretched out her hand to her two escorters ,* 
a narrow hand it was, but plump, with dimples along 
the knuckles, and fingers, rosy and round, as though 
turned on a lathe. 

Kossling, as he handed over the net, clasped Hetty’s 
hand a little longer than was quite necessary, then 
grew frightened and with flaming cheeks and with 
great ceremony drew off his slouch-hat in a deep 
awkward bow. 


Jason, humming and whistling, took his arm whilst 
Hetty hurried into the doorway, with its well-scoured 
sanded boards ; on either side two white semicircular 
plaques of finely moulded, decorative plaster bas-reliefs 
were let into the wall. One represented Cupid and 
I syche and the other Bacchus educating the young 
God of Love. For years Hetty had never looked at 
them but to-day she passed through very slowly, cast 
a half-stolen glance at them and greeted each as an 
old acquaintance with a smile. 

. r ^&ht there was a door leading straight 

mto the shop, where the book-keepers, with goose 
quills behind their ears, stood balancing themselves 
before their high desks like horses at their cribs. 


HETTY GEYBERT 


29 


Hetty looked through the centre pane, surrounded with 
its border of small red, yellow and green glass frag¬ 
ments. Her uncle had just lately had this pane put 
in ; before, it had been a white varnished wooden 
door adorned with all kinds of carving and ornamenta¬ 
tion, but uncle had replaced the centre panels with 
bright glass, which he thought had a much more refined 
look about it. 

The entrance was very dark, and the steps steep, 
uneven and hollowed out by many feet. In front of 
the windows, with the full white curtains, there were 
balconies that took from the stair even the little light 
the curtains might have permitted. But Hetty knew the 
way and, in spite of the dark, found the embroidered 
bell-rope which bore in fine flowing beadwork letters 
the name of S. Geybert. She, indeed, was the only 
person who had ever read these words, for had she not 
stitched them bead upon bead?—and here, where the 
bell-rope hung, nothing less than raised type for the 
blind could possibly have been read. The bell tinkled 
on and on, as though it could not leave off, without 
always one more little chuckle. 

Aunt Rika opened the door, shuffling along in bed¬ 
room slippers, the full cap on her head, and clad in a 
voluminous, flounced gown of grey and white striped 
silk. She had got it cheaply, for she had taken an 
old piece, to be got rid of as a job lot, from the 
warehouse, and fixed a day for the dressmaker, who, 
with a thousand tucks, flounces and pleats, had made a 
covering for her capacious form which was a kind of 
compromise between a ball dress and a morning 
wrapper. 

Aunt Rika was very short and thick-set, covered, 
too, with very considerable layers of fat. Yet her 
face was pretty with an almost childlike prettiness, 
although showing, too, childish limitations and narrow¬ 
ness of outlook. She had black eyes, like two currants 
in a big scone. 

“ Hetty, where have you been so long? ” she asked 
indignantly. “ Your uncle will be coming up directly 


30 


HETTY GEYBERT 


and you must look after the roast veal. The girl 
doesn’t know how to.” 

Hetty stepped into the entrance hall, lighted by 
glass doors on two sides. Its walls were whitewashed, 
and a couple of old, curved-back chairs, originally 
in her grandfather’s best room, now found here a last 
resting-place for their faded covers and chipped gilt 
frames. 

“ First I met Uncle Eli. Did you know that Aunt 
Minnie was not well ? They had to send for Baumbach, 
but she will put in an appearance this evening, for 
she won’t miss that.” , 

“ Of course she has been eating something again 
that didn’t agree with her? ” 

“ Yes, Uncle thought so too ;—and then I met 
Uncle Jason.” 

“ What about him? ” 

” He sends you his love, and he is going to bring 
a friend with him to-night—a Dr. Kossling.” 

“ I don’t understand that—and I’ll tell Jason so 
too. How long have I kept an inn here? ” 

“ But, Aunt, he has often brought someone with 
him before, and this is really a nice man.” 

“ Oh well, it’s all one to me. All the same, he might 
sometimes return the compliment.” And Aunt Rika 
took the fish-net and poked the pike, which was now 
only showing very faint signs of any conscious connec¬ 
tion with this world. 

“ What did it cost? ” 

“ Thirteen and a half, Aunt.” 

“ I should have got it cheaper. Well, if a fool 
is sent to market, rogues rejoice,” was her tart reply. 

Hetty was not one of those who can answer speeches 
like this. A lump came in her throat so that she 
could not speak and her eyes filled with tears. 

“ Did you, at least, change my book at Fernbach’s ? ” 

Hetty took out of her reticule a small shabby volume 
in marble covers. 

“ Ivanhoe? I never saw such dull books as Fernbach 
has nowadays. Can’t you bring me something of 


HETTY GEYBERT 


31 


Siede’s or Rambach’s. I always liked those. Or 
something new of Sue’s ! But no, always Scott and 
Dickens again, and Dickens and Scott, and Sternberg 
and Schopenhauer.” 

“ Well, next time I’ll ask for one of Siede’s.” 

“ Now, Hetty, go into the kitchen and look after 
the dinner,” said her aunt, as she shuffled along with 
her book in her fat hand to the “best room.” 

Hetty went to her bedroom, which opened directly, 
from the hall, a quiet little room where the light 
entered through the tiny panes of a window that 
opened on to a balcony leading to the courtyard ; 
just now it was full of the aromatic scent of peppermint 
from two balsam plants on the window-sill in pots 
of white and gilt-patterned porcelain. 

In one corner stood the bed under a chintz canopy 
gay with crimson flowers ; figured white gauze curtains 
covered the window, and in front of a leather sofa 
with a curved back and long rows of white buttons 
stood a light birch table, small and oblong, on high 
spindle legs. On its figured rep cloth lay Hetty’s 
album, a little brown volume stamped with a flaming 
heart on a gold altar of love ; close by was a gold¬ 
fish bowl with a bronzed china stand, against which 
a rococo shepherdess reclined in love’s sadness. 

And the fat, red goldfish swimming lazily round 
and round the bowl showed behind his curved glass 
wall now swollen, now again slim, as he turned and 
from time to time stared with dull, bolting eyes at 
the little, oblong leather book and the sentimental 
shepherdess. Two white chairs with curved backs 
kept silent guard against the wall to right and left 
of a mahogany cabinet displaying marvels of every 
kind behind its bright glass doors. 

Hetty tied on a big apron and went along the 
outside balcony past the branches of the old walnut- 
tree that spread its arms to every side of the narrow 
courtyard and almost touched Hetty with its hanging 
clusters of dark blossoms and big sticky aromatic leaf 
buds. 


82 


HETTY GEYBERT 


The new maid was standing quite at a loss in 
the kitchen, and it was Hetty who turned the meat, 
basted it, and mended the fire, so that when the uncle 
came the joint was cooked and ready. 

Uncle Solomon’s house garb was a long coat, covered 
with intricate systems of patches, and always a little 
cap of black velvet embroidered with a garland of 
oak leaves in cross-stitch. If he ever forgot it, he 
always the very next day had a cold that at once 
spread through the whole house. 

Solomon was not unlike Jason, only older, quite 
grey already, besides being somewhat bloated as well ; 
the same features that, in Jason, were clean-cut, refined 
and intellectual, had by the passage of time been 
blunted and coarsened in him. The decades of petty 
office life, the bickering and fret of his married life, 
no less than its stupid monotony as year after year 
passed in the same grooves with nothing to distinguish 
one day from another—all this had worn him out 
and made him a little suspicious. Although in earlier 
days he was not without his full share of the Geyberts’ 
well-known drastic wit, now all he had to show for it 
was a couple of phrases and a number of witticisms, 
not to be repeated in all society ; he had, too, in his 
repertoire a few little jokes that were not exactly 
refined ; for example, his trick of holding an out¬ 
stretched finger against a friend’s averted face and 

his unrestrained merriment when his friend turned at 

his call and so got a poke in the cheek. This 
particular trick never failed to annoy and infuriate 
Aunt Rika, but, for all that, he did not give it up, 
the one indulgence he still allowed himself. In every¬ 
thing else, yes, in everything, he had long since been 
accustomed to give way to his wife, but in this one 
thing he did consider he had his own sealed and 

vested rights. 

At the stroke of one, Uncle Solomon had taken his 
place at the round mahogany table in his high chair 
with its curved back. He had tied his dinner napkin 
round his neck and carefully fastened it down with 


HETTY GEYBERT 


33 


three pins to his old coat. There he sat without a 
word, only beating time with the prongs of his fork 
against his napkin as a vent for his impatience, for his 
life was lived so up to time, that the neighbours 
used to set their clocks by him. 

The room was large, painted in blue and white 
with a broad silver scroll round the cornice. A long 
row of dark oak chairs with carved high backs stood 
stiffly along the wall. On the sideboard, in shape 
like a high, brown, polished chest, glistened red cut 
glasses that cast little points of light on to the ceiling 
and a comical reflection in a polished reading lamp,, 
just the kind to give a distorted image. They en¬ 
circled, too, both the china candlesticks, stiff Doric 
pillars surmounted by thick, yellow tallow candles* 
each attended by its silver snuffers. Under the sofa, 
with its blue damask cover, there were ranged, even 
now in April, whole rows of bottled fruit. A head¬ 
rest, with a blue parrot in clipped woolwork, hung 
over one end of the sofa and a second, worked with 
beautiful flowing script, on the other. On the foot¬ 
stool a little white silk dog with shining bead eyes 
was to be seen in the same kind of work, whilst the 
cushions, thick and soft, that covered the window- 
seats, showed cross-stitch garlands of roses, red at 
Uncle’s window, virgin white at Aunt’s. Head-rests^ 
footstool, cushions were all Hetty’s creations. In 
the window, hung on little chains pictures of white 
biscuit porcelain, that, seen against the light, showed 
beautiful groups of figures. Uncle had only lately 
bought them. They were “ Evening Prayer ” and 
“ Morning Greeting,” and Uncle thought “ The 
Negro’s Bath ” and “ The Warrior and His Son ” 
were also equally appropriate contrasts. 

Uncle Solomon was still sitting there in lonely 
impatience, now pricking the table-cover with his 
fork, when Aunt Rika came in, most indignant that 
dinner was not yet ready—but Hetty had come 
back so late. And, at last, Hetty came too with 
a scorched face and streaming eyes—the fire had 

3 



34 HETTY GEYBERT 

smoked—and in her wake tripped the new maid with 
the tray. 

Then there the three sat together once more— 
Uncle and Aunt had grown old in these rooms—at 
this round table ; Hetty, too, would very soon have 
eaten her dinner with them for a quarter of a century 
at this same table. When she first entered the house 
they had to put a cushion on her chair to bring her 
nose above the edge of the table ; now she no longer 
required a cushion. 

Of course she could have been married long since 
if she had not come of such a good family. It is true 
ner father had left nothing, had frittered everything 
away, but all the same, they must see she married 
into a good family. And they could really often 
have done so, if Uncle Solomon had not kept a 
tight hold on his money, and if both of them had not 
found it cheaper and more convenient to have Hetty 
to help her aunt in the house. Naturally she would 
later on, in any case, have enough and to spare, 
so surely they need not part with it now ; and she 
would find a husband, too. If it should be absolutely 
necessary, then they would look for one for her, but, 
for the time being, things were quite right as they 
were. And Hetty was pretty enough, too, to get 
ten men for every one of her fingers. 

Uncle was depressed, for a report, on good authority, 
had reached him that the King was not well. It 
was not that this news was a shock to his patriotic 
feelings, but he said to himself that, if anything 
happened to the King now, just now . . . and even 
a king—he did not himself like mentioning the end 
of this life ; indeed, he had to swallow hard at the 
mere thought of it—“ But even a king,” he said to him¬ 
self, “ is not exempt from such accidents, just as even 
a Privy Councillor may die.” . . . Well, if this 
happened, he—Solomon Geybert & Co.—would certainly 
be left with half his stock of coloured waistcoats on 
his hands . . . not to mention the lengths now coming 
in that would next year be out of fashion. And he 


HETTY GEYBERT 


35 


turned the matter well over as to whether it would 
not be advisable to cover himself a little, at any rate, 
by increasing his stock of black goods, both plain 
and figured. 

In Aunt’s opinion things were not so bad as that 
with the King. He would live some years yet, she 
was sure, and thank Heaven, she did not want any 
other. For she had a sort of confused feeling that, 
either by birth or marriafge, she was related to the 
Prussian Royal Family, because a Prussian Prince had 
once at a town ball danced with her in the days 
when she was still young, pretty and not quite so far 
round. Hpr husband was not exactly proud of this 
incident, which she had presented to him in a somewhat 
peculiar light, as though the iron resistance of her 
innate modesty alone had prevented her beauty from 
proving the ruin of her virtue. But he said to him¬ 
self—and he had had ample opportunities in the course 
of thirty years to justify the statement—that in his 
wife’s little brain things of this world were reflected 
not quite as they actually were, and that events were 
remembered not just as they happened. So, no doubt, 
just as she mixed up the dead and the living and 
said things of people that were not strictly facts, 
so in this case her fertile imagination might again 
have played her false. 

Hetty said that Uncle’s news ought to be reckoned 
with, but he shouldn’t take any steps at present. 
If things came to their worst, he could always sell 
his goods abroad. And even general mourning would 
scarcely mean no sale at all for coloured waistcoats. 
Jason, who generally heard everything, had, that morn¬ 
ing, known nothing of the King’s illness. 

At the mention of Jason’s name Aunt Rika over¬ 
flowed like a pent-up mill stream, and her flood of 
words, restrained for a few moments, poured out in 
full force once more. 

She indulged in digressions concerning Jason’s 
manner of life and his conduct as regarded morality, 
and added that, as if that was not enough, he must 


36 


HETTY GEYBERT 


needs bring to her dinner that evening one of his 
boon companions. Why he should, passed her under¬ 
standing, she added, with a long side-glance at Hetty. 

But Solomon did not rise to her bait ; he loved 
Jason, for he had a secret feeling that in his brother 
much had matured and ripened that in himself had 
dwindled into nothing. Besides, he knew only too 
well that his wife, for thirty years now, had waged 
war against everything that bore the name of Geybert, 
because it was higher, of finer feeling and healthier 
than the petty, narrow spite that adorned the members 
of her own family. In spite, however, of their diverse 
natures, the tie of habit had bound this ill-matched 
pair of human beings closely together, and they asked 
for nothing better than to tread life’s way, side by 
side. The storms raised by their differences of opinion 
did not reach the depths of the matrimonial haven— 
indeed, barely ruffled its surface—and Uncle might 
just have growled “ Noodle ” at his wife, yet, direcdy 
after, the two would be sitting peacefully again, side 
by side, on the sofa taking a little nap, either with 
their two heads close together or both in their respective 
corners with their faces pressed against the head¬ 
rests, so that for the next half-hour Uncle bore on 
his cheek in Braille the parrot’s head and Aunt the 
reflected writing of “ Sweet ” as they looked out of 
the windows, leaning against their cushions begarlanded 
with roses purple-red and virgin-white—-until these 
marks of peaceful slumber slowly faded away to blossom 
forth again on the following day. 

In earlier days they had looked out of one window 
quite comfortably side by side, but physiological reasons 
had of late made this impossible, and so they each 
had their own. 

No less to-day did events follow their usual course. 
In the excitement of the subsequent heated discussion 
about Jason, Uncle Solomon likened Aunt Rika to a 
turkey-hen—in which he was not so far wrong when 
the total weight of her body was compared with the 
size of her brain—and called all Aunt Rika’s tribe a 


HETTY GEYBERT 


37 


deceitful “ generation of vipers.” As emphasis of 
this last word an old soup-plate of English ware, 
with a dark blue pattern of all kinds of marvellous 
birds, had split in two in his hands—-but it had long 
been cracked. Yet, in spite of this, the two, Solomon 
and Rika, again sat side by side on the sofa, gently 
breathing in and out through their nostrils, far removed 
from earthly strife and toil. And after a long hour 
they were both looking out into the beautiful afternoon 
sunshine from their respective windows, and calling 
out comments to each other on the passers-by, whether 
acquaintances or strangers. 

Uncle Solomon showed great skill in guessing every¬ 
one’s calling. He had acquired this in the course 
of the long years that he had observed the street at 
the same time every afternoon—in summer from the 
open window, in winter from his window-seat with 
the help of the outside looking-glass—and his ex¬ 
perience rarely played him false. Aunt Rika always 
pleased him by asking, and they enjoyed the game 
like two children, 

“Now, my man, look, what’s that one?” came 
the question from the white roses. 

“ He’ll play the violin well,” was the answer from 
the red. 

‘‘Why, Solomon?” inquired the white. 

“ He drops his chin to the right and his shoulder 
to the left,” the red replied. 

‘‘And that one?” 

“ You can see that for yourself, I should think,” 
he answered half-offended, as if this question was 
really too easy. ‘‘You can’t? The man’s a cobbler. 
Don’t you see, then, how he holds his thumb . . . 
just as if he was drawing out his waxed thread?” 

But whilst the old folk amused and enjoyed them¬ 
selves in their own way, only interrupting their game 
to talk about a neighbour to whom they kept giving 
friendly nods on the other side of the street, Hetty 
was sitting in her room at her little white birch 
table with a small book in front of her—quite tiny 


38 


HETTY GEYBERT 


it was, pretty and dainty. Uncle Jason had given it 
to her, and had himself—for he liked to potter about 
with pencil, Indian ink and paint—drawn a green 
garland in it, and inside that again written in flowing 
characters with little curls and flourishes a significant 
dedication. Uncle Jason was especially fond of this 
little volume, these few pages of Jean Paul, because 
he was a bachelor and was now decidedly nearing 
those years when we are inclined to ponder on the 
“immortal nature of our emotions.” 

But to-day Hetty looked at the pages without really 
knowing what she read, and, certainly for the twentieth 
time, her eyes rested on this passage : “ And thus 

a gold-mine of love lies almost hidden in the breast, 
no more than a tiny flame, until at last some word 
of the spirit brings it to light and man discovers 
the wealth that has always been there.” Hetty 
murmured the words and felt their gentle compelling 
charm 'without entirely grasping their inner meaning. 

At the half-open casement windows the muslin 
curtains filled and fluttered with the breeze blowing 
in from the courtyard, now half in shade, and bring¬ 
ing with it the aromatic scent of the young walnut 
leaves. Hetty sat quite still, and not a sound was 
to be heard except now and then a splash from the 
goldfish in his bowl. Hetty felt disturbed, not exactly 
depressed, but unable to control her thoughts, as 
one thing after another came into her mind and dis¬ 
appeared again without taking any real shape. She 
had a feeling as though she was forsaken, dissatisfied, 
a feeling of loneliness and strangeness in the house 
and amongst the people to whom she had been bound 
for more than twenty years—or had it been for ever? 
Only in her dreams did she remember anything 
different. As she looked round her, nothing seemed 
to bear a friendly aspect, neither bed nor sofa nor 
chairs along the wall. Hetty felt as though she was 
nothing more than a guest, staying on a visit here. 
The only things really her own, prized and familiar, 
were but the small cabinet over there with its store 



HETTY GEYBERT 


39 


of tiny treasures—the little china dolls, and the cups—• 
the two flowerpots in the window and the few books 
below—a company of friends that Uncle Jason had 
brought to her by slow degrees in the last few years, 
for, since he could not care for her bodily welfare, 
he was doubly concerned with her spiritual and mental 
growth. And on the lower shelf of the cabinet, the 
dainty little golden pasteboard casket, with its sides 
of graceful open work, lined below with a mirror 
and its lid a transparent glass picture—the little casket 
holding keepsakes of all kinds—her father’s eyeglass 
and signet ring, a witty birthday wish from Jason, a 
schoolfellow’s lock of hair, her mother’s needle-case, 
a feather of her dear departed canary bird’s and a 
hundred gay nothings of no value to anyone else in 
the world—these were hers, too. And her beauty 
belonged to her, face, hair, form, everything, to the 
very brightness of her complexion—this was some¬ 
thing her own, her very own. She felt no pride in 
her "beauty, only the affection we give to a friend, so 
dear that the praise and approval she wins touches 
us almost as keenly as if given to our very selves. 

Suddenly Hetty got up, as if she had thought of 
something, took the two bunches of violets from the 
table and looked at them closely, examined them, 
untied one, went to the cabinet, took out the casket, 
placed it in front of her and fixed a long glance 
on the little picture in the lid. It represented two 
girls in a garden under a cloudless sky, one in pink 
and one in pale blue, kneeling by a bush gathering 
great cabbage roses that the maiden in pink was 
fetting fall into her little basket. After looking at 
the picture for a time, Hetty raised the lid that fell 
back to the full extent of its silken hinges, lifted 
up her arm—like the girl in the picture—and let the 
violets quite slowly trickle through her fingers into 
the little gold basket. The purple blossoms found 
their way into crack and crevice and hung between eye¬ 
glass, needle-case, letters, birthday wishes, feathers, 
curls and little notebooks. Yet one or two fell through 


40 


HETTY GEYBERT 


/ 


/ 


everything on to the mirror below, where they now 
lay in contemplation of their own blue petals. 

Hetty closed the little casket with a silent smile, 
so gentle as to be but a bare suggestion of a smile, 
fleeting as the summer lightning in the heavens. Then 
she slowly and solemnly put the box on the top of 
the cabinet, where the air passing through the open 
giltwork of its sides bore into the room the sweet 
scent of the flowers, sweeter now that they lay singly 
and no longer tied together in a bunch. And then 
she drew from amongst her books a little shabby 
volume with marble covers : her bird-book. It treated 
of the rearing and care of canaries, with an appendix 
concerning ailments and directions for successful breed¬ 
ing. The little volume was written in the strangest 
German, and full of spelling mistakes, but nevertheless 
it had to play a special part in Hetty’s life ; it was 
an amulet for her, giving soothing calm and comfort, 
and she could even forget sadness in its pages. Now, 
too, Hetty opened it and read, maybe for the hundredth 
time : “ Eight weeks after mating the little hen lays 
her eggs, with their delicate blue shells, in the nest.” 
And Hetty let her thoughts wander no one knows 
whither. 


Then Aunt Rika came in to say that Hetty must 
be sure to see everything was in perfect order for 
the evening, and not forget to look after the pike ; 
she was going out for a little herself, and would 
bring one or two things back with her, and order 
an open apple tart from Weise’s for dessert. “ Although 
I really don’t know for whom we need to have it,” 
she added, that she might leave the field with the 
last word, uncontradicted and unopposed ; no longer, 
however, in morning wrapper and cap, but titivated 
up and in full war-paint. Aunt Rika had draped a 
yellow Turkish shawl over her fat shoulders and blue 
gown, and tied a kerchief to match round her head, 
so arranging it on her hair that a fluttering end hung 
down over one shoulder. In her young days possibly 
this style had suited her, but to-day it only seemed 







HETTY GEYBERT 


41 


rather a joke of hers to dress in such guise and, 
like Madame de Stael, to masquerade with a high 
turban—as if straight from a Turkish harem—along 
the Spandau and Konig Streets. 

Hetty got up, looked amongst her dresses in the 
wardrobe, and examined a light one from all possible 
points of view before spreading it out neatly on the 
bed. Then she put a little box beside it and went 
across the hall into the “best room.” 

This was still in darkness, the curtains so closely 
drawn and fastened that through the opening there 
flickered only tiny rays of light, as fine as golden 
hairs. A few white covers shimmered faintly in the 
green dusk and the Eastern scent of faded rose- 
leaves, rising from four fat china pots, gave Hetty 
a feeling of oppression. She pulled back the curtains, 
pushed the three creaking windows open, and the 
afternoon sunlight peeped amazed into the long room. 
The walls here were hung with thin pale-green silk, 
from which the daylight must be kept, since even 
without its brightness the colour was already half 
gone. A narrow gold border encircled the white 
ceiling, and from two painted rosettes hung two wooden 
chandeliers, painted to imitate bronze, each with six 
candles standing all awry and crooked in the holders, 
like trees after a hurricane. 

If Hetty drew herself to her full height she could 
just reach them, and she arranged one candle after 
another until, true to their innermost nature, they all 
rose straight and regular from the curved bronzed 
arms. Then Hetty carefully removed the white covers 
from the furniture and the sofa ; all the chairs, great 
and small alike, freed from their wrappings, seemed 
to stretch their limbs as though awaking from sleep. 
The furniture was white, its hard varnished surface, 
brilliant with reflected light, and mirrored in the dark 
waxed floor. All its lines were straight, slender and 
delicate, except that the easy chairs and the two little 
settees had arms modelled in the shape of swans’ 
necks, the arch white, the head golden, a dull gold 


42 


HETTY GEYBERT 


like the covers of the flat hard bolsters beside them, 
dull gold like their delicate canework backs. Hetty 
carefully dusted one thing after another ; the maid 
would not have done it so well after all. She dusted, 
too, all the cups and silver in the tall corner cupboard. 

On the little console table below the mirror, between 
the two windows, stood a glass case over a clock 
guarded by a gay, moustached, china Turk in wide 
trousers, who was flanked on either side by a porcelain 
jar. This clock was the object of Hetty’s special 
care, although she expended even almost more on a 
second clock between the other windows, on a similar 
table, below a similar mirror, between similar jars, 
a clock of gilt bronze, above which Cupid was sharpen¬ 
ing his arrow. One spot on the well-waxed floor 
she rubbed for full five minutes to give it the polish 
she thought it lacked, although it really needed specially 
trained perception to notice any difference here from 
the glass-like smoothness of the surrounding surface. 
She watered the india-rubber trees and the palms 
on the flower-table, wiped every key of the square 
table-like piano—it was a joy to see her bustling round 
like this—and all the time she sang in a pleasant 
little voice : 

" Oh, my lovely peasant maid, 

Come into my castle; 

Draughts of chocolate, lemonade 
Await thee in my castle." 

And she answered this love-making in mingled in¬ 
dignation and merriment : 

" Let me, lowly maiden, go; 

I am not for you. 

Who I am, you sure do know. 

From the village, though I come 
And home now I must go. 

Must go, must go-o-o." 

Then she shook her duster out of the window, 
looked at the people walking down the street, laughed 




HETTY GEYBERT 43 

and began her sing-song once more from the be¬ 
ginning again. 

Uncle Eli and Aunt Minna were the first to arrive, 
almost before it was dark, whilst Hetty was still in 
the very midst of her work, Aunt Rika not back—and 
Solomon still signing his letters in the office. 

Aunt Minna was very small, very old and somewhat 
high-shouldered. She wore a dark purple gown, a 
black lace-edged shawl, and a marabout toque on 
her head and, in addition, the many portions of an 
extensive malachite set of jewellery distributed about 
her old person. Aunt Minnie was as wrinkled as a 
dried pear, and her old trembling mouth, a little 
askew in her face, was somewhat like a torn button¬ 
hole. But nevertheless she carried her seven-and- 
seventy years very well, and that twisted mouth of 
hers ate and talked with speed and efficiency. Yet 
little Aunt Minnie said no ill, and even her jealousy 
of her husband was entirely unfounded, since all his 
interests were centred in horses. 

Uncle Eli had changed his brown frock-coat of 
the morning for a better specimen of the same species ; 
only he must have had the misfortune to meet on the 
way, perhaps, another Mr. Under-Commissioner, for 
the powder lay on his shoulders white as flour. Uncle 
Eli was politeness itself to Aunt Minnie. 

“Minnie, keep on your lace shawl, you might get 
a chill,” he said. “ In a little you might take it off, 
perhaps, and later on, if it is cold, Hetty will give 
you one of her wraps to go home in.” 

That little Aunt Minnie would be equipped for 
a sack-race in one of Hetty’s wraps never occurred 
to Uncle Eli. But I may tell the reader beforehand 
that it did not turn cold, and Aunt Minnie could, 
without fear of injury to her health, go home in her 
lace shawl as she had come—it was, after all, only 
as far as the second street-corner. 

Hetty took the two old people into the dining¬ 
room and was about to light the lamp when Minnie 
laid a restraining hand on her arm : why should she 


44 


HETTY GEYBERT 


do that? Not for them, certainly not for them ! All 
their days they had been used to candlelight, still had 
nothing else, and they would not like such extravagance 
on their account. Afterwards, when the others came, 
Hetty could bring out the new lamp. 

The candles made two centres of ruddy light in the 
encircling dusk, whilst the sky outside and the 
neighbours’ houses across the way in the spring 
evening light suddenly turned dark blue, seen through 
the muslin curtains, and the strange couple—the medi¬ 
tative old nutcracker and Aunt Minnie—sat close 
together, like two birds on one perch, in the pale 
yellow candlelight. 

They scarcely spoke a word, these old folk. For 
when two have known each other so long, and have 
together suffered and seen so much—four children on 
their death-beds, the fall of neighbours’ homes, of kings 
and rulers, the coming and going of French and 
Russians—then words become very superfluous as a 
means of communication. Each knew very well what 
the other was thinking, for no sooner did one ask a 
short question than the other’s answer came, and if 
after a time the last speaker asked again and the first 
agreed, it was easy to see that they had both been 
following up the same train of thought. 

Hetty meantime was busy about the room. From 
the great oak cupboard in the alcove at the end— 
a veritable house of a cupboard with a real gable 
as well—she took the heavy damask cloth and napkins, 
put more leaves in the table, spread the cloth and put 
out blue-patterned plates of all sizes, shining candles 
and red cut-glass bowls, borne on the back of bridled 
dolphins, not forgetting, too, the double china salt¬ 
cellars with Cupid seated between, testing with tongue 
the salt on his dainty finger-tips—a table decoration 
no family of any standing would dispense with—nor 
the open-work silver bread-basket. The two old 
folk from their sofa followed every piece with their 
eyes in significant silence, and exchanged glances that 
would have been amply sufficient in a competent court 




HETTY GEYBERT 


45 


of law to justify restrictive proceedings against Uncle 
Solomon on the charge of extravagance. These 
glances, however, did not prevent Aunt Minnie, an 
hour later, from making very perceptible holes in the 
mountains of preserved haws, quinces and greengages, 
that Hetty was now heaping on to the dishes from 
their stone jars. 

Then Aunt Rika came groaning under her heavy 
load and following, as her satellite, Weise’s servant 
with the tart in a cardboard box. 

Rika’s welcome to Uncle Eli and Aunt Minnie was 
not particularly cordial, but they did not seem to 
notice it, and Minnie at once fell upon her, without 
even giving her time to get her breath, for she was 
delighted to find a listener for her last experience 
with her maid. 

, “ Just think, Rika, I tell her to bring Eli’s hot- 
water bottle ; she doesn’t bring it. I call, she doesn’t 
bring it. I go out myself, and there the baggage 
of a girl is standing in my kitchen, half-naked, washing 
herself.” 

Rika was justly enraged at this hitherto unnoticed 
and entirely unexpected desire for cleanliness in 
Minnie’s Minna, but had no time to give voice to 
this mental shock, for the bell all at once rang loudly 
and continuously. And since Hetty was in the kitchen, 
or even maybe in her room changing her dress, 
Aunt Rika had to go to the door herself and, what 
was still worse, Aunt Minnie had to postpone until 
later the continuation of her descriptions of the 
depravity of this creature—who stands half-naked in 
the kitchen to wash herself. She therefore determined 
to return to this theme—which since yesterday had 
filled her mind to bursting-point—when the whole 
company were assembled and, more than that, to ask 
each one individually, how they would have acted in 
her place. 

Five of them now came up the steps under the 
flickering little oil lamp, Max and Wolfgang leading 
the way, then Jenny, then Uncle Ferdinand, and, last 


46 HETTY GEYBERT 

of all, Aunt Janey wheezing like an asthmatic lap- 
dog. 

As Aunt Rika leant over the balustrade and looked 
down into the half-darkness of the hall, she heard 
Solomon’s voice below, mingled with the heavy rattle 
of the carrier’s hand-cart, which had come for the 
cases for export, and called in a loud, high voice : 

“Solomon, Solomon, the company have come.” 

“ S.G.C. 14.” 

“Solomon, Solomon, the company have come.” 

“ What do the company matter to me?” growled 
Solomon—“S.G.C. 15.” 

Meantime Aunt Janey had climbed the steps. She 
was Aunt Rika’s sister (two brothers had chosen two 
sisters), a good ten years younger than Aunt Rika, 
but just as short, and as far round, much as if she 
had been hammered out in thickness. Her eyes had 
the same resemblance to black raisins in a pale pan¬ 
cake, and her mouth was quite tiny and curved like 
the top of a lady’s reticule. 

Aunt Janey had on a silver-grey taffeta gown with 
a wreath of wild roses round the top of the hem, 
her fat fleshy neck and back were bare, and showed 
through the pattern of the lace shawl covering her 
shoulders like a hundred red-rimmed eyes. She wore 
her shining black hair in something not unlike a 
fish-net. j 

She was like her sister in everything, except that 
she did not confine her benevolence only to her own 
person, but extended it to her three children, Max, 
Wolfgang and Jenny, and when they were visiting 
Solomon and Rika, stuffed them till they could barely 
stir, encouraging them again and again to help them¬ 
selves and not be shy—Rika would like to give it, she 
said. In her own house Aunt Janey was by no 
means so considerate of her children’s bodily welfare, 
and often sent them to bed with just a simple slice 
of bread and butter. Her husband was indeed upon 
her conscience, for although Solomon and Rika might 
squabble, still they clung to one another as closely 




HETTY GEYBERT 


47 


as links in a chain, whilst Janey and Ferdinand really 
lived like cat and dog, and Ferdinand had long been 
accustomed to seek away from home every pleasure— 
yes, every single one that married life has to offer. 

In every point Ferdinand stood midway between 
Jason and Solomon ; in age, height and worldly 
prosperity. He was not as intelligent as Jason, yet 
not such a Philistine as Solomon. He observed the 
festivals as they came. He was not so smart as Jason, 
but better dressed than Solomon in his own home. 
He sold and hired out carriages, phaetons, landaulettes, 
cabs, and shared Uncle Eli’s knowledge of horses, 
although neither would recognize it in the other, and 
nephew and uncle alike had a firm conviction of the 
other’s ignorance in this particular science. 

Max was in his father’s business, and liked to act 
the part of lord and future head of affairs ; he was 
at an awkward age, with a pale face of a yellowish 
hue, and covered with pimples, like his mother with 
his loose spongy features, and entirely without a trace 
of the fine, slim, well-bred beauty that marked all 
the Geyberts in face, walk and bearing. 

Wolfgang could not get into his head the Greek 
the monastery tried to teach him, little anaemic fellow, 
fourteen years of age, that he was, oppressed and beaten, 
for every one, father, mother, Max, teachers in class, 
schoolfellows on the way to school, every one of 
them had assumed the right to chastise him. He 
was not a bad boy in heart or disposition, but without 
much talent ; shy and full of inward despair, he felt 
an outcast from home, family, school and stables 
literally without a single thing to call his own, or a 
■single spot where he could claim the rights and shelter 
of a home. 

There was only Jenny who was a real Geybert, 
thirteen years old but beyond her years both mentally 
and physically. She had the true Geybert features, 
the long, oval face, the straight nose with the long- 
ridge and sharply cut nostrils, the large almond-shaped 
eyes under their heavy lids, and masses of black hair 


48 


HETTY GEYBERT 


with a sheen like satin. Her style of dress was quite 
grown-up already, a pink gingham gown, not quite 
full length, however. She at once asked where Hetty 
was, for she loved her with the desperate love that 
little girls often lavish on a beautiful teacher. Jenny 
admired her, too, for in her eyes Hetty was a being 
of a higher order, and she used to purloin her idol’s 
ribbons and hairpins to treasure them as objects of 
secret worship. 

When Aunt Rika came in she was overcome with 
sudden amazement and horror that only the candles 
had been lit, although up till then she had attached 
no importance to this circumstance. Whatever was 
Hetty thinking of to welcome such visitors with tallow 
candles? But Hetty was not there to defend herself, 
and Aunt Minnie preserved a discreet silence. 

The two children crept into the window corners and 
pressed their faces against the panes. As Jenny passed 
the ruddy mountain of preserved hips she took one 
with quick adroitness, kept it hidden for a time in her 
closed fist, and then snapped her jaws and cleverly 
threw it into her mouth. Ferdinand, Janey and Max 
took possession of the chairs along the wall, where 
they sat like three heathen idols. Ferdinand was 
furious that there was so far nothing to eat, for it 
was only for this and the whist afterwards that he 
had come. Janey had plenty she was anxious to talk 
about—a new maid, new clothes, red glass and china, 
as well as the choice between Schoneberg or 
Charlottenburg. The air was said to be better in 
Schoneberg, but then it was easier to get to Charlot¬ 
tenburg. 

Then Solomon appeared ; he had gone up the back 
stairs and made a hasty change into the new waist¬ 
coat of silver-grey velvet and the black satin neck¬ 
cloth which he had taken up with him from the 
shop. In these, with his high collar of dazzling 
whiteness, he looked not unlike an old retired officer 
with a somewhat stiff and serious kindliness of manner, 
and an air of urbanity one would not have believed 


HETTY GEYBERT 


4& 


possible in the little man he was a short time back 
in a small velvet cap and a coat mapped out in patches. 

Solomon had also invited a business friend, a 
purchaser from Stockholm, a lean fair man, who did 
not understand much German, and answered every 
question or remark addressed to him with a simple 
“ Tak.” 1 He now came in, and with him a connection 
of Rika’s and Janey’s, a tiny, little old maid, with 
three tight curls on either side of her face—dried 
up and sharp-featured, inseparable from her knitting,, 
which she carried in a bag round' her waist and held 
askew on her left hip as soon as she began to make 
her needles fly. For whom she knitted all the 
stockings was an inscrutable mystery. She provided 
all her circle of friends with them, and if the stockings 
she made for Wolfgang turned out too small she 
always knew of another pair of legs they would fit„ 
She loved children above all else, and kissed them 
whenever she met them—an attention they greatly 
disliked—and earned as the reward of her affection that 
the objects of her tender devotion made fun of her, 
and no sooner had they eagerly gobbled up her sweets 
than they invented some practical joke to make her 
ridiculous or give her pain. On this occasion, too, 
she rushed towards Wolfgang and Jenny, who took 
refuge in horror in a corner, but resist as they might,, 
they could not escape their fate. 

Ferdinand, who made himself absolutely at home, 
questioned with much annoyance where Jason might 
be and why Hetty was not there. But in the midst 
of his questions voices were heard outside, and Hetty, 
in a French lawn gown of a delicate shade, em¬ 
broidered with golden corn and a few dried golden 
ears in her hair—Hetty, Jason and Dr. Kossling came 
in. Ferdinand’s face betrayed his wonder as to wha 
this stranger might be ; but Solomon went at once 
to meet the Doctor as he stood, embarrassed by the 
lights and strange faces, almost in the doorway, and 
begged Jason to introduce him. 

1 Tak == Swedish thank you. 

4 



50 


HETTY GEYBERT 


He was very pleased, he said, to make Dr. Kossling’s 
acquaintance, and hoped he would enjoy himself in 
his house ; everything was simple; he must at once 
confess he had nothing intellectual to offer, but Dr. 
Kossling no doubt had enough of that himself, and 
would be glad to dispense with it for once. In earlier 
times all kinds of literary and theatrical people used 
to like to visit him—Saphir and Glasbrenner, his 
neighbour over the way, Angeli, the Wolffs, Rellstab 
and Liber—but that had all ceased now. “ Just ask 
my sister-in-law ; she will tell you why,” he added, 
with a wink and a suggestion of some occurrence of 
days long since past. 

Aunt Rika came up now, too, and scrutinised Dr. 
Kossling with the look peculiar to women ; the look 
that gains information as to thousands of things, asks 
and answers thousands of all-embracing questions. 

“ Won’t you introduce me, too, to the Doctor,” she 
said somewhat indifferently, and her tone expressed 
her last and conclusive judgment about Dr. Kossling, 
who had already been accused, tried, and condemned 
before he had uttered a word in self-defence. 

Meantime Ferdinand had stepped up to Hetty, put 
his arm round her and kissed her twice, once on either 
cheek. Jason never kissed Hetty; Ferdinand always. 
He kissed Hetty whenever he saw her, to say good 
morning, to bid farewell, after meals and at odd times. 
He looked upon that as an uncle’s privilege, and would 
brook no curtailment. He paid no heed to the fact 
that there were duties connected with the privilege 
and that it ought to be earned ; it is true he was 
always telling Hetty how he had loved her father 
but that the one time, the only time when he was 
called upon to prove his love he had shrugged his 
shoulders and clapped his hand on his pocket, that 
he never mentioned, although it would have been no 
news to Hetty. 

Aunt Minnie came up: ‘‘Hetty, show yourself a 
little! My word, how fine you are! What did that 
lawn cost? And where did you buy it?” 



HETTY GEYBERT 51 

“ At Solomon Geybert & Co.’s, Aunt. Just here, 
down in the ground floor on the left.” 1 

Tease that you are! But I think it would not 
do for me ; it is perhaps a little young for me. Ten 
years ago I could have worn it, but to-day, you see, 
I have turned into an old woman. But, Hetty, you 
look pretty in it, really beautiful ; it’s a pleasure 
to see you, it really is. You don’t need to hang all 
kinds of things about you like your fat Aunt Janey, ; 
there is nothing mis-suits a pretty person. Did you 
hear about Minna? Did I tell you? . . . Well, 
yesterday I go out of the parlour and there stands 
the baggage of a girl half-naked # in my kitchien, 
washing herself.” 

Up came Jason now to speak to Hetty. 

‘‘By my soul, lass, you look like the beauty of 
the land in her harvest garland . . . with your ears 
of golden corn! 

*' The city lass would fain be beauty’s queen. 

But country maids have double charms, I ween,’ 

he teased merrily. 

Aunt Janey came up to them. 

‘‘Good evening, Hetty; is that the latest?” But 
she got no farther in her conversation, for Aunt Minnie 
took immediate possession of her. 

‘‘Did I tell you about Minna? Well then, yester¬ 
day I come out of the parlour and there stands the 
baggage half-naked . . .” 

And here Aunt Minnie found her first patient 
listener. 

Kossling was still listening to Solomon, but with 
many a confused and stolen glance at Hetty, of whom 
he could just catch a side view, with her white 
shoulders, slender neck, and hair dressed high, just 
such a view as showed him a part of her chin, cheek, 
eye and forehead lit up by the pale golden rays of 
the candlelight. Her shoulders, crossed by white 
shoulder straps embroidered in gold, rose broad and 


52 


HETTY GEYBERT 


beautiful above the neck of her low dress. Kossling 
was confused, and not really paying attention, as he 
leant only half an ear to Solomon’s tales of Boucher, 
the Socrates of violinists as he was called. He told 
how he had heard him, divine player that he was ; 
how Boucher had even held his violin behind him and 
played the air from Bach better than many a one with 
his instrument in front. For his part he could not 

understand the fuss they made of Liszt ; people are 

quite crazy about him, and now the women worst of 
all! Liszt was gifted, of course, but personally he 
preferred Thalberg. He was from Mozart’s time, and 
even if he had not sung Don Juan as well as Bluhme, 
still he had had quite a nice voice in his young days, 
and by it alone he had made his wife’s acquaintance 
and won her afterwards. 

All this went in at one ear and out at the othjer, 

for Dr. Kossling did not feel quite at home in his 

present surroundings ; he had recognised at once that 
he and his hosts lived in two different worlds, quite 
without any points of contact. They had simply 
accepted life as a fact, wherever and in whatever form 
it might meet them. They were all so insultingly 
content. What more did they want? They had 
enough and no further desires. Their homes had 
ample supply of food, drink, music and literature. 
The discontent and anxiety of life that drove him 
forward, joy and good alike, were all unknown to 
them. Why, indeed, had he come here? 

Then Aunt Rika pulled Uncle Solomon’s sleeve to 
get him to come, so he excused himself, and Kossling 
was left standing by himself. 

Jenny and Wolfgang had thrown themselves on 
Hetty and stuck to her right and left like burs, whilst 
the little tiny old maid, with her knitting and tight 
little curls, barred her way with her chatter. 

Hetty stood smiling amongst the three, head and 
shoulders taller than them all, and looked over to 
Kossling, as if begging him to release her. 

Meanwhile Uncle Eli on the sofa had fallen into a 


HETTY GEYBERT 


53 


sweet sleep, and sat there with nodding head and 
open mouth, whilst Aunt Minnie, silent and faithful, 
guarded his slumbers. 

The Swede was talking to Ferdinand, who knew 
Swedish as well as the other did German, so that 
each missed all the points and refinement in his 
companion’s conversation, but they did not notice that ; 
for, after all, what does a speaker care to hear as a 
rule but his own voice? 

Jason was in Aunt Janey’s clutches, but he made 
his escape when he saw Kossling alone. 

“ Well, Kossling, how are you enjoying yourself 
here? Quite nice people, aren’t they? Their only 
fault is that they look upon themselves and their mutual 
relations as so terribly weighty and serious, as though' 
all their affairs were of the highest political importance. 
Look over there at my sister-in-law, my brother 
Ferdinand’s wife. Doesn’t she sit there like—His 
Excellency listening to Boucher ? And yet she brought 
nothing into marriage but aches and pains tied up 
in a handkerchief ; and even the handkerchief was 
a little patched.” 

Kossling laughed. 

“ A Berlin joke is better worth having than a 
beautiful neighbourhood, Hegel says.” 

“Do you see my brother Ferdinand over there? 
That one—to be sure, we are all alike. The true 
Philistine type through and through wouldn’t you say ? 
Yet, Doctor, with it all, he is still as wild a rascal 
as you could find. I tell you, Kossling, when we 
used to live together at Pinchen’s and he came home 
in the evening he would feel in the dark on his desk 
for any long envelopes with summons for ‘ mainten¬ 
ance.’ That’s the kind of man my brother Ferdinand 
has been.” 

“ Now listen, Herr Jason Geybert, Protector of the 
Muses and Graces, greatly as I esteem you, I cannot 
think this is the right place to initiate me into all 
your family intimacies. I would have you know your 
niece Hetty is looking at us already.” 


54 HETTY GEYBERT 

“ My lass, come here, my darling,” Jason called. 

Hetty left the sofa corner where the three had 
pushed her, and came over to him, bringing with her 
the two children, Wolfgang and Jenny, each of them 
with head on one side, snuggled in between hfer arm 
and waist. 

“ Now, Hetty, you see I managed to bring him 
after all, although he made up his mind not to come., 
Look, Kossling, these are Ferdinand’s children. Boy, 
do they give you enough to eat, I wonder. What¬ 
ever do you look like? ” Jason said, putting his hand 
on Wolfgang’s heiad. “ You must come out here 
sometime for the whole summer. Well, and how is 
school getting on? lorr^xi, LaT7)n .” 

Wolfgang’s little pale face grew a shade more 
serious. 

‘‘Well, let’s drop that,” Jason added. ‘‘Why 
always speak of business? Do you know, the next 
time you come to see me you shall get a few nice 
books. I’ll give you Hinkel , Gockel and Gackeleia. 
So come sometime and get it.” 

“ When may I cjome ? ” the pale little fellow asked, 
with shining eyes. For, like all those who cannot 
get on very well in this world, he lived in another, 
more beautiful, with no thrashings, no irregular verbs 
in fu; indeed, no regular ones either, and the books 
he read in secret provided him with materials to 
build such a wtorld where he could move sky and 
scenes to suit his every passing fancy. 

“ Now, Mademoiselle Hetty, may I ask how you 
have spent your time up till now? ” 

“ I have been busy in the house, and read a little 
too.” 

“What? if I may ask.” 

“Jean Paul. On ‘The Eternal Youth of our 
Feelings.’ Do you know it?” 

“ Indeed I do ; I know my Jean Paul well.” 

“ Do you like him? ” 

“ Yes, surely, he is one of the finest of all. Old- 
fashioned, circumstantial, not modern, but what a 


HETTY GEYBERT 


55 


mind! He clings closer to the ground than the others, 
but in spite of that rises higher to the clouds.” 1 

‘‘And Wilhelm Meister ? ” Jason interposed. 

“ No, I prefer Jean Paul. This something that lies 
deep within us gets more from him. Jean Paul is, 
besides, something for those who deny, Goethe only 
for those who affirm.” 

Hetty looked at him in astonishment. 

‘‘Are you amongst those who deny?” 

Kossling laughed. “ That is a question that can¬ 
not be answered in a moment. I suppose nobody 
entirely denies. The very fact that we remain, con¬ 
sciously remain, in this doubtful position proves our 
attitude is not one of utter negation. But if I did not 
deny at all, then I should not be amongst the writer- 
herd—I should be a sailor or a gardener or a silk 
merchant.” 

The last word slipped out unawares. 

Hetty flushed, and Kossling would have made some 
excuse but could find no fitting words. 

Then Aunt Rika came to ask them to come to 
supper. 

At the company’s sudden move Uncle Eli started 
so quickly from his resting-place that his wig all but 
fell from his head, and was only saved by a quick 
grasp of his hand. 

‘‘Will Dr. Kossling take in Hetty?” said Aunt 
Rika. 

And so they all sat down at the long table—Jason, 
Hetty and Kossling by each other, opposite to Rika 
and Solomon, Ferdinand next to the Swede, and the 
lady with the tight curls by the children, with whom 
she had arranged a plan of campaign to help herself 
to lots of preserved fruit and to pass some of it on 
quietly to the children, and nobody would notice. 

Ferdinand had to guess what the pike cost. He 
was an expert at that, and rarely guessed two and 
a half groschen too much or too little, and this time, 
too, he hit the nail exactly on the head. As a reward 
he took a good helping, indeed such a liberal allow- 




50 


HETTY GEYBERT 


ance that Aunt Rika turned pale with fright, lest the 
dish should not go round. 

“Stop! Ferdinand! ” Jason called across the 
table. “ You know it doesn’t agree with you.” 

Ferdinand always complained a little of being livery 
and bilious. 

“ You will be standing, later on, by the Branden¬ 
burg Gate, leaning against a pillar, like Licinius, and 
then I shall sing: * Licinius, do I meet you here at 

Vesta’s temple, you in very truth, before the break 
of day?’ And you will answer: ‘Will you let me 
go? ’ ‘ No, I will not.’ ” These last words Jason, to 

the children’s huge delight, chanted to the tune of 
an air from Don Juan. “ And to-morrow, to-morrow 
you will lie there like a tree-trunk washed down by 
a flood! ” 

Ferdinand did not care for this onslaught, but for 
the moment he was too busy avoiding the bones to 
think of taking up the cudgels in his own defence. 

“ Tell me, Jason, have you heard an“y news of our 
King’s health ? You are generally the peripatetic 
Observer by the Spree 1 ’ *’ Solomon broke in upon 
his brother’s musical solo. 

44 Nothing fresh.*’ 

“ Report says he is not well.’’ 

“ Well, he is old enough. Some day we shall 
all have to lie with our mouths open.” 

“In my opinion it would be a misfortune.” 
Ferdinand spoke with the authority of an oracle as he 
fished out a bone. 

“Why?” inquired Jason. 

“ Well, who knows what kind we might get after 
him! ” 

“ I think the Crown Prince is still our one hope,” 
Kossling put in modestly but decidedly. “ He knows 
what our times want and lack.” 

“Oh, indeed! ” Ferdinand said scornfully, with a 
mimic movement of lifting a glass to his lips. 

“ But what do you expect, Ferdinand,” laughed 
Jason. “ If you had the wine-cellar you’d be taking 


HETTY GEYBERT 57 

a nip early in the morning when you brushed your 
teeth.” 

The laugh that followed put the company into good- 
humour. 

But Aunt Rika was much upset, and said she 
wouldn’t allow such speeches. Why, it was—demo¬ 
cratic. 

“ Now, sister-in-law,” cried Jason, “ I suppose you 
still think that the monarchy is the normal divinely 
ordained form of government? ” 

The children were squeaking and giggling at the 
end of the table and nearly pushing the little lady 
with the tight curls off her chair. They addressed, 
too, loud and familiar remarks to John, who was in 
Ferdinand’s employ as cab-driver and acting as waiter 
here to-day. He had on green livery, smelt of the 
stables, and, in spite of his white gloves, balanced an 
enormous dish so cleverly in his paws that both big 
thumbs dabbled in the sauce. 

“ I heard a joke to-day,” Solomon began—“ a 
splendid one! I’ll never forget it to my dying day.” 

Everyone stopped talking to listen. 

But Uncle Solomon was quite silent as well. 

“ Well? ” said Jason expectantly, for he was always 
a willing recipient of such wares. 

Solomon bit his underlip. “ Good heavens, Rika, 
however did it go? ” 

“ But Solomon, you couldn’t possibly tell that here,” 
replied Rika. 

“ Oh, my lamb, I don’t mean that one at all, but 
the other.” 

“ But you never told me that one, Solomon. 

Here Jenny burst into an unrestrained squeak of 
laughter, and Father Ferdinand flared up to give 
evidence of his paternal authority. Jenny was not 
to remain at table if she could not behave properly. 
John was to take her away. 

But the rest of the company objected to this, and 
Jenny stopped where she was, still giggling happily 
in spite of her parents’ threatening glances. 


58 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ But people say Prince William is very ill,” 
Ferdinand resumed after a pause. 

“ I think we should miss Gans more ; that you must 
agree. We have really princes enough and to spare.” 

Whereupon Rika remarked that she could not allow 
such speeches in her house, but Solomon gave as his 
opinion that Jason was quite right. Gans was no 
doubt a man quite out of the common, although he 
had allowed himself to be baptized. And Ferdinand 
told how Gans* mother had said to him shortly after 
he had joined the Christians: “Eli, don’t rock your 
chair about so ; you might fall and hurt your cross ; 
you know it’s none too strong yet.” 

Kossling had not heard the joke before and was 
much amused. He felt at his ease now, sitting so 
close beside Hetty, who kept a motherly eye on his 
bodily comfort. Besides, he, Jason and Hetty carried 
on a private conversation in an undertone. They 
seemed to have formed a secret triple alliance here, 
so that if one looked at the other it was with a glance 
of mutual understanding ; and Kossling often looked 
at Hetty, now openly and freely, then with secret, 
furtive and, as he hoped, unnoticed glances. 

“You are off to Karlsbad, Solomon?” Ferdinand 
asked. 

“ Yes, perhaps this very next week. Thle physician 
insists on it, so I will go as soon as I have taken 
rooms in Charlottenburg for Rika.” 

“ Look here, Solomon, I have a very good landau 
for you—it only needs a fresh coat of varnish. I’ll 
let you have it for the time for twenty-five thalers— 
as a rule it would cost fifty even between brothers.” 

“ So you only reckon Solomon as your half- 
brother,” said Jason, taking part in the bargain. 

“ Do you know, Ferdinand, I thought I would like 
to try the train for once.” 

“That passes my understanding,” cried Ferdinand. 
“ Jason, who has no responsibilities, might do such 
a thing, but you, a married man ... Up till now 
you have travelled quite well behind hbrses, and now, 


HETTY GEYBERT 


59 


all at once in your old age, you must needs meddle 
with things like that.” 

“ Yes,” put in Uncle Eli, “ that railway business 
is just a fraud, I tell you.” 

“ Never mind, Ferdinand,” Rika pacified him ; ‘‘he 
only talks like that ; I know he won’t do it, for my 
sake.” 

‘‘Why not?” Solomon inquired somewhat curtly. 

But Rika had no chance to answer, for Minnie 
suddenly threw herself full-tilt into the breach. 

“ Just imagine, Rika, I wanted to tell you before 
about my Minna. I had a fine surprise there. Lately 
I come out of the parlour, and there the baggage 
of a girl stands half-naked in my kitchen, washing 
herself.” 

“ Well—and why wasn’t I referred to in such a 
matter?” cried Ferdinand. 

“ On ne parle pas en presence de la servante,” 
Rika said, with a wink and the assistance of the last 
remnant of her knowledge of French. 

“ But how long have you spoken Berlin-Colony- 
French?” Jason gaily broke in. Rika repaid his 
query with a look that, like a bitter pill, was only 
coated with sugar. 

But now, however, whether it was that Aunt Minnie 
really did not understand French nor, at her advanced 
years, the language of eyes either, at any rate she was 
not to be suppressed, and began to describe her ex¬ 
periences with Minna in great detail, to the huge 
delight of Wolfgang and Jenny, who had to pay 
for their pleasure by sharing in brotherly fashion their 
father’s wrath. 

Aunt Minnie’s tale reminded Aunt Rika that she 
too had a grievance, and as eagerly as a child whose 
sand castle has been knocked down, she hopped with 
delight into the conversation, and only waited for 
the ^moment when sister Minnie should vacate the 
field to explain how her serving-maid was no good 
either, so clumsy that whatever she set up with her 
hands' she knocked down with her feet. And lately 


60 


HETTY GEYBERT 


she had run against the wall with the butter ; the 
mark was still there beside the door. And more than 
that, she was not even respectable, for as she, Aunt 
Rika, was a short time since in the kitchen, the butcher- 
boy had thrown up peas against the window. And 
how she washed—as if she rinsed the things in the 
gutter and dried them up the chimney. So she was 
no good for her house. 

Janey only waited for Rika to draw breath when 
she sprang in. 

“ Oh, I am quite content. I have a charming girl 
just now—really she knows how to set about things. 
I only look on when she makes pancakes. Ferdinand 
says he never ate any so good, not even in ‘ The 
Swan.’ ” 

“ Excuse me, Janey, the day before yesterday they 
were abominable,” Ferdinand interrupted indignantly. 

But Janey paid no heed to his remark. 

“ And such a respectable girl too. Her uncle is 
even a master-sweep in Lansberg on the Warte. And, 
Rika, fancy, she has never been to the Zoological 
Gardens.” 

But Jason, as he remarked to his neighbour, was 
quite unable to grasp the connection between the 
girl’s virtue and the Zoological Gardens. 

Aunt Janey, however, was not to enjoy her sense 
of triumph long, for Ferdinand ordered her not to 
bother people with her chatter and began himself a 
very interesting account of Jack Bohm, son of Bohm, 
the owner of the livery stables, who was such a 
splendid whip that he drove through the long, dark 
passage holding the reins in his left hand whilst he 
put on his boots with his right. He had seen it 
with his own eyes. And then he told how he had 
once as express-rider covered thirty-three miles in 
less than two hours. 

This was indeed water on Uncle Eli’s mill-wheel, 
and he began to tell little anecdotes of his own youth 
and horsy jokes of a certain Seidlitz, and in a trice 
Ferdinand and Eli were at daggers drawn, and each 



HETTY GEYBERT 61 

assured the other that he kfiew nothing about riding 
or horses. 

Old Uncle Eli gobbled like a turkey-cock, in¬ 
tensely amusing Hetty and Jason with his rage. 

But as the dialogue between uncle and nephew 
was taking on a very personal complexion and the 
women beginning to take up the cudgels as well, 
Jason determined to turn the conversation into a some¬ 
what fresh channel, so addressed Janey in a quite 
casual kindly tone: “(Well, sister-in-law, how are 
you then? Although 1 I don’t need to ask, for you 
are as round as a dumpling. But, Janey, do tell me 
one thing—what do you feed the children on ? They 
really look like brown beer and yellow froth.”' This 
last he said with a polite smile. 

It was indeed a battle-cry! Janey begged 
Ferdinand to protect her against such an attack, and 
appealed to Rika to see she was not insulted under 
her roof. 

But Jason, smiling and unperturbed, said he had 
not meant to insult anyone, and would be the first 
to rejoice if there was no cause for his inquiry. But 
the children really looked wretched ; just as if they 
did not get enough to eat. > 

In reply to which Janey assured him she was no 
raven mother, but rather a veritable pelican, which, 
indeed, judging from her figure, seemed more likely; 
that is, this was not her literal reply, but her defence, 
lasting full three minutes, could be analysed down 
to this simple formula. 

tWhen this subject, too, promised to end in a heated 
discussion, Solomon, with a “ Children, don’t talk so 
much ; mind the bones,” began to speak of Daguerre’s 
new art, as to whether there was anything in it or 
whether it was only a plaything like Riddle’s universal 
penholder that certainly looked very attractive but had 
been proved absolutely useless for business purposes. 

Kossling said he thought that the discovery, which 
was in itself marvellous, would, when it was perfected, 
certainly have a future as soon as ever they could 


62 


HETTY GEYBERT 


manage to take people by its means. Count Puckler 
had photographed an Austrian peasant girl ; she, poor 
creature, had to sit without moving for half an hour, 
but it had turned out very lifelike. Nobody could 
possibly see what this new invention might bring 
forth, but in any case we could find out now what 
things really looked like. 

Ferdinand said he had seen at Dorell’s a picture 
of the balustrade on the Puppen Bridge ; it was blue 
as lightning, and scarcely anything could be recognised 
on it ; the thing was a swindle, like everything else 
that came from France. 

Jason came to Kossling’s help: “The future alone 
will show whether Daguerre’s discovery is worth any¬ 
thing, but for my part I am inclined to think yes 
rather than no. It is surely success enough to have 
proved the possibility of making a picture by light 
alone. But what you say against France is not your 
real conviction. Where do you get the models for 
your carriages ?—tell me that,; and where does Solomon 
get his silks and his patterns?” And Jason, contrary 
to his wont, actually flushed up as he spoke. 

Who knows what a storm might have arisen over 
the future of Daguerre’s most important invention if 
the joint had not made a welcome interruption in the 
conversation ; for, say what one would against Rika, 
she certainly provided a good table. Even Jason 
had to own that. She was renowned far and wide for 
her roast, and no less for her open tarts and candied 
fruits. Her table was not like Janey’s, where every 
guest was afraid to eat if the others were to get 
anything, but on the contrary, everyone wondered what 
country grew calves with legs of that calibre—and 
what went out to the maids was such a quantity that 
each of them could well have invited all the others’ 
sweethearts to share her meal. 

Jason was asked to carve, but declined ; he said 
it was not the same thing here as in England, where 
the master of the house took up the leg by the bone 
and amidst the roars of the assembled company, swung 


HETTY GEYBERT 63 

it five times round his head and then let each have 
a good bite at it. 

Janey asked in amazement: “Is that really so?” 

Ferdinand had to guess again how much the joint 
weighed, and Rika grew almost twice as broad with 
proud delight when he fell two pounds short of the 
actual weight. 

From now on the atmosphere was less warlike, for 
a good slice of roast meat is generally much superior 
to a piece of fish in exercising a soothing influence 
on fiery tempers—and there happened to be several 
of these in the present gathering. 

The talk turned on to the theatre, and Ferdinand 
told Kossling he would go into the Theatre Royal 
again when they stopped acting plays from the French, 
and also that the theatre was no good now. When¬ 
ever you think they are going to act Nathan the Wise, 
quite unexpectedly they play He Requests, by Ludwig 
Schneider. The theatre in Steglitz was the only one 
he liked, for there you could at least smoke in peace. 
And the opera was nothing but a continual noise ; 
they couldn’t manage at all now without big drums, 
trumpets, and elephants’ trampling. Gluck hadn’t used 
these, and yet Iphigenia was quite good music. “ Or 
perhaps Mozart is a bad musician?’’ 

Ferdinand said this in a tone as if Kossling himself 
was the creator of the opera Nurmahal and Olympia, 
or, at the very least, had inspired Spontini to their 
composition, whilst Kossling assured him he was as 
innocent as a babe unborn, and indeed belonged to 
quite another camp as an admirer of Beethoven. 

Although Ferdinand did not agree with this either, 
yet for the moment he had somewhat to limit his 
objections, since a difference of opinion had arisen 
between Wolfgang and Jenny, a difference which was 
finding vent in angry glances above the table, in 
kicks underneath. For Wolfgang maintained—and 
justly—that Jenny had curried favour with the lady 
with the little tight curls and so induced her not to 
give him a fair share of the preserved fruit, no trifling 


/ 


64 


HETTY GEYBERT 


injury when, instead of the turnip jam provided at 
home, there were any amount of preserved strawberries, 
black walnuts and pickled quinces to be had here. 
But, as often happens, the superior paternal court 
decided against Wolfgang without first thoroughly 
inquiring into the circumstances, and with a box on 
the ears wanted to dismiss the culprit from the table. 
It was only by manful efforts that Jason succeeded in 
getting remission of the last part of his punishment. 
But his ears had been boxed, and no power on earth 
could make them unboxed. Wolfgang, however, was 
satisfied with even this measure of success. 

Max had shown himself very reserved all through 
dinner, and had taken scarcely any share in the con¬ 
versation except that, as soon as it touched on literature, 
he had given a pitying smile, for he accounted him¬ 
self the coming man. This mental reserve had only 
given place to an increase of interest when he caught 
sight of the housemaid as, with bare rosy arms, she 
handed round the dishes. And his serious melancholy 
features brightened every time she entered the room. 

Jason now remarked that he could not sit still any 
longer, and begged that the meeting might be some¬ 
what shortened in consideration of his lame leg and 
Ferdinand’s digestion. Or else Ferdinand would have 
to get the lever fetched from his stables. 

So Solomon begged Rika to take the will for the 
deed and to save, for later on, cakes, fruit, and what¬ 
ever other food she had in reserve. They would eat 
it afterwards in the best room, and try not to drop 
crumbs on the newly polished floor. 

Accordingly the company went round shaking hands 
and wishing each other sound digestion and all other 
good things, just as though they had just accom¬ 
plished something remarkable, and Ferdinand did not 
omit to wipe Hetty’s mouth in his usual way, which 
indeed was totally unnecessary, as she had already 
used her dinner napkin for that purpose. But Hetty 
submitted to the process as a reasonable being endures 
treatment at a dentist’s hands. Yet when Jenny 


HETTY GEYBERT 65 

jumped on her to snatch a kiss she was decidedly 
less demure, and fondled and cuddled the child till it 
was a joy to see her. 

Kossling had been keeping near Hetty, and Jason, 
who had to conciliate his sister-in-law, Janey, and 
assure her of his unalterable goodwill—for it is always 
better to have the womenfolk as friends rather than 
enemies—came up to him when he was alone again. 
For Hetty and Jenny had gone to light up in the best 
room. 

“ Well, dear friend/’ he exclaimed, “ how are you 
getting on here ? If the company were as good as the 
food—do you think ? But it is nothing now ; the 
Geyberts are on the downward path. Not one of us 
is what the father was ; not one is thought so well 
of in Berlin ; they have just gone to waste, have 
my brothers You can see that in the children. What 
a set! Like brown beer and-” 

“ I know, Herr Geybert, I know,” Kossling broke 
in, for Jason was beginning to raise his voice again. 
But he was not to be checked. “ No good blood left ; 
no breeding at all,” he cried, “ and all through those 
cursed little Lithuanian horses.” 

Up came Aunt Rika to ask Kossling if he had 
had enough supper. There wasn’t much more to 
come. In her house everyone must help himself, 
and she hoped Kossling had done so, or it would 
be to his own disadvantage. 

Kossling assured Madame Geybert that she had 
no cause to fear he had not done full justice to her 
culinary triumphs. As he spoke Hetty threw the 
door wide open, and standing on the threshold with 
the bright light from the chandeliers and lamps 
streaming past her into the dining-room, she begged 
the guests to come in. 

They followed her invitation, Uncle Eli leading the 
way. The floor reflected a hundred lights, and the 
white chairs were mirrored in its smooth surface. 
The spacious room, with pale-green silken hangings, 
was filled with golden candlelight, in which every- 

5 


66 HETTY GEYBERT 

thing looked bright, pretty and inviting. The two 
clocks with Cupid sharpening his arrow and with 
the sentimental Turk kept up a busy ticking, whilst 
every ray and glimmer of light seemed to gather on 
the brown expanse of the square piano. In one corner 
stood a card-table all ready, and on the tea-table 
and the small round tables against the wall the cups 
delicate frail little tea-cups—were arranged beside the 
fruit in openwork china baskets decorated with leafy 
garlands, and the silver cake-dishes piled high with 
proud pyramids of coffee cakes. 

Uncle Eli at once went to the cake-plates, took his 
stand by them, picked up a yellow brown wafer cake 
in his finger-tips and at regular intervals followed it 
by others. “ I like little cakes,'” he said to Kossling 
as he was passing on his way to Hetty. “ Really, 
Doctor, I like little cakes—first because they agree 
with me and; I can eat them late at night ; secondly, 
they taste good—not all, of course—but these here! 
And thirdly, they are cheap ; for instance, these don’t 
cost me a farthing ; do take a little cake yourself, 
Dr. Kosslingl” 

Kossling looked on with amused surprise at Uncle 
Eli’s digestive feats. “Well, Herr Geybert’’—every¬ 
one was Herr Geybert here—“ if they really agree 
with you. . . .” 

“ My dear Doctor, I tell you anyone could digest 
coffee cakes, even if their hearse was at the door. 
And even if not,” the old man added thoughtfully, 
“ W ell—suppose they don’t agree with me, then, at 
any rate, I have had one more feast of honey cakes.” 

Kossling quite agreed with this philosophy ; indeed, 
he very nearly clapped the old man’s shoulder and 
told him that in this confession really lay the quin¬ 
tessence of earthly comfort, but second thoughts re¬ 
strained him. 

* * * * * 

The company soon broke up into separate groups ; 
in one corner Ferdinand, Solomon and the Swede 


HETTY GEYBERT 


67 


were playing whist with a dummy, for Jason could 
not be persuaded to take a hand—he hadn’t come there 
for that. Of course Uncle Eli could have played 
with them, but he was too slow for Ferdinand. Eli 
always deliberated half an hour over each card, until 
Ferdinand got so irritable that there was always danger 
of his throwing the cards against the wall, as he 
had done more than once. 

Ferdinand was a genius at the game, playing the 
cards with his right hand and writing a record at the 
same time with his left ; he made the most of every, 
card, and at the end of every game used to calculate 
how it would have been if his partner had drawn 
small hearts and his opponents had instead come off 
badly in diamonds. He didn’t like losing—on such 
occasions he could be disagreeable ; but neither did he 
ever agree that he had won, the play had always 
only been “ so, so.” 

Over in the other corner Aunt Rika had her circle 
with her sister, with Aunt Minnie, the little old lady 
with tight curls, with Max and Wolfgang, who could 
not sit still and lolled about like Michael Angelo’s 
angels in the corners of the Sistine Chapel, and lastly, 
with the expectation of Uncle Eli when it should suit 
him to leave his sinecure by the cake-baskets j 

Jenny never budged from Hetty’s side. She had 
thrown her arms round her and nestled her head 
against her, first on one side, then the other, as they 
stood together in a recess near the mirror close by 
the piano. Jason was there too, and Kossling was 
anxious to join them, for there was no telling when 
Uncle Eli would give up his occupation ; besides, 
being entirely engrossed in his own affairs, he did not 
honour Kossling with any further remarks, and declined 
to respond to any of his attempts at conversation. 

So Kossling gave up Eli and went over to the 
books in a little bookcase hanging on the wall. When 
he began, as was his wont, to study the titles of the 
little leather volumes, he found, to his surprise, a good 
deal to arouse his interest. 


68 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Solomon seeing him thus occupied, courteously left 
the card-table for a moment to join him. “ Well, 
Doctor, no doubt you have more books than I. Se,e 
here, this Mendelssohn was my father’s. He took out 
the bright little leather volume, pointed out to Kossling 
the dainty gold embossed work, and then opened it. 
“ Look how well it is printed, and how fine the copper 
plates ; no one does such work nowadays. And 
here is the first edition of Nathan . How do you 
like the Lessing Monument in Brunswick ? I think 
my brother said you come from Brunswick, don’t 
you? It is unheard of for the King to forbid the 
play in the theatre. Of course it’s true Lessing can¬ 
not dance as well as Taglioni, still he has some merits 
of his own—that must be allowed. And then, do 
you know this here—Lorenz Stark and Thomas Keller - 
wum? Not a soul reads it to-day, yet I assure you 
it is charming, quite charming.” 

“ You have there Saul Ascher’s works, Herr 
Geybert.” 

“ I haven’t read them, and I won’t read them ; 
but, after all, we must give the man a helping hand.” 

‘‘Oh, do you think so?’* The words slipped out 
all unawares. 

“ Well, perhaps not,” Solomon replied. “ I promise 
you, Doctor, I shan’t read them.” 

“ Solomon,” came an impatient call from Ferdinand, 
“ don’t keep our game waiting.” 

“ Doctor, you will excuse me, but duty calls.” 
With these words Solomon left him, determined, how¬ 
ever, to make Ferdinand pay for his want of tact. 

But even now Kossling did not get over to Hetty. 
There seemed a fate against it, for Aunt Janey barred 
his way once more and inquired if he was musical, 
and if afterwards he would perhaps play some little 
thing. 

Kossling assured her he was not musical, putting 
a bold face on his untruth, and that, for lack of 
talent, he would not play either. But Janey, dis¬ 
regarding his protests, escorted him over to Jason 


HETTY GEYBERT 69 

and Hetty, and there recommended him for further 
persuasion. 

“ Hetty, fancy, the Doctor won’t play. See if you 
can persuade him.” 

‘‘Will you really not favour us with something? 
Uncle Jason always tells me so much about your 
playing.” 

“ Well, you see, I only play a little for my own 
amusement—not well enough for others—so I don’t 
like doing it.” 

“ Well, Jason, then you must sing a little, later on,” 
Janey concluded, and returned to her circle and the 
unsolved servant question. 

“ And, Dr. Kossling, where have you' been in 
hiding, eh? You were missed, painfully missed in¬ 
deed, by someone here. So you had instead to count 
and reckon up Uncle Eli’s coffee cakes ? ” 

As Jason spoke, Hetty stood in the window niche, 
straight and tall, in her light dress, leaning against 
the white panels with her head thrown back on her 
upraised arms—bare arms, plump and rosy. Her 
eyes, half sad, half gay, looked past Kossling into 
the room beyond. 

‘‘Shall we play at forfeits now?” cried Uncle 
Jason. 

“ Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes,” screamed Jenny. But 
Hetty very quickly laid her hands on her lips so 
that the cloud of paternal wrath which, Heaven alone 
knows why, was again lowering over the children, 
might not burst. 

“ I’ll kiss you without a forfeit,” Jason said, 
drawing the child—by no means against her will—into 
his arms. 

‘‘You are a real little Geybert, aren’t you? And 
those over there ”—pointing to the boys lolling on 
their chairs—“ they are Jacobys.” 

“ Oh no. Uncle, please not forfeits—let us have 
a little music!” 

“ Well, as you like, Hetty, but it need not be 
just at once, for it only interrupts the talk.” 


70 HETTY GEYBERT 

“ Dear friend, tell me, however did you get that 
gunshot?” Kossling asked. 

‘‘Shall I tell you about it? I don’t like speaking 
about it, you know, but, if you like, I will tell you. 
We had bivouacked on the wet ground near 
Grossieten.; not one of us had loosened his sword 
or taken off his cartridge belt, but the men, their 
weapons in their hands, were all sleeping round the 
dead camp-fires. For between us and our main army 
a regiment of French grenadiers was wedged in like 
an axe in a block of wood, you know. 

“ All communications were cut off ; they caught our 
express-riders as easily as hares. We had dispatched 
eight of them since the morning, one every two hours, 
and now, no doubt, they were all sleeping well and 
soundly between the hedges or the down-trampled 
sheaves of corn. 

“ I had volunteered too, the ninth in succession. 
Understand, Kossling, I am no coward, and when 
they had already fallen on my right and left I said 
to myself that might just as well be my fate as 
theirs. But so absolutely alone, without a soul 
near in the open country, to be blown down 
from one’s horse by some fellow or other behind, 
that no one could catch a glimpse of, and to lie 
there, perhaps for days, half dead, with no water 
—I cannot say this prospect filled me with any 
particular joy. 

“ Well, I got up. I had not slept. The dispatch- 
bag was put round my neck in the grey early dawn, 
and I was cold, desperately cold. 

“ At first I rode slowly, then quicker and quicker, 
and I felt as if someone or other was sitting on 
the horse behind blowing the whole time on to my 
neck, so that my back was all cold and damp. My 
horse trotted without a sound along the sandy roads. 
The trees by the wayside were enshrouded in mist, 
and I can still remember the scent of the over-ripe 
corn—like newly baked bread. It might all have 
been in the barns by then, but no one thought of 


HETTY GEYBERT 


71 


harvesting it. Then the eastern sky began to colour 
a long red streak appeared on the grey, and thle 
clouds gathered over it layer upon layer, all edged 
with rosy red. As I looked at them my eyes literally 
filled with tears. 

“ 4 Yes, look your fill at the little red clouds—you 
will not see them again to-morrow,’ I said to myself ; 
said it over and over again, perhaps ten times—quite 
foolishly. I was but a young man then. But, do 
you know, nothing happened, nothing at all. Once 
I heard something like voices in the distance, and 
turned into a road sheer to the right ; then I came 
almost right up to a peasant’s cottage amongst the 
trees ; it seemed inhabited, and I rode my steed very 
quietly along the brook behind the hedge of willows, 
hidden in a thick veil of mist. 

“ But I still had the fellow sitting behind me and 
blowing down my neck. I had been riding an 
hour and three-quarters, and it was now such broad 
daylight that I could certainly be seen at a distance 
of five hundred paces, so I kept as much as possible 
behind the trees ior amongst the corn. I must, too, have 
nearly reached the village ; indeed, some time before 
I fancied I had seen smoke over in the distance, a 
sight that made my heart light and gay in a moment 
to think I had got so far. Halt! A horse is lying 
over there in the field, swollen, and with his legs, in 
the air. And as I look carefully I see a uniform lying 
under him, a uniform I knew, for I was wearing 
the selfsame coat on my own back. You can well 
believe at that moment I had very little wish to join 
that comrade of mine. 

“ The horse lay with his back to me. ‘ So they 
didn’t wipe you out from this side, old fellow,’ I said. 
From where then, I wonder ? Oh, I see ‘ maybe from 
over there, from those sandhills lying so peacefully 
yellow and red in the dawning day. So, Jason 
Geybert, you will be wise to keep a little to the 
left. It is better, too, for far away on that side I can 
already see our troops drawn up in line before a 


72 


HETTY GEYBERT 


spot in the bright sunshine, and it is there I must go, 
but a little way, now, perhaps fifteen minutes more, 
quick riding. 

“ Strange, but what are those things all at once 
on the hill there ? Each of them looks like a 
brown prickly globe cactus ; six, eight plants side 
by side. 

“ I can see them at regular intervals against the 
first shimmering brightness, standing out sharp and 
clear up on the hillside. But, heavens above, how 
the hornets fly about in this part. Buzz—there’s one 
of them past my ear. Whizz—another already! And 
then all at once there is movement on the hill—a good 
thing I see it ; so those were the high caps of French 
grenadiers. ‘ Bon jour, messieurs! If you know your 
job you will, without much ado, shoot my horse 
under me, and then I shall come on foot to knock 
at Peter’s gate. And if I turn now, afterwards the 
wind will blow into a hole in my back, and I have 
never at any time been able to stand a draught at 
the back of my neck very well. And if I throw 
myself down on my horse you will no doubt be able 
to shoot a pretty pair with one bullet.’ 

“ I really cannot remember if I said all that to 
myself at the moment, but I think not. At any rate, 
I did the right thing ; that is, rode as fast as horse’s 
legs could carry me, in English style you know, bolt 
upright, proud a^s a Spaniard, as if the whole affair 
was no concern of mine. And I didn’t aim at any 
special place, but went straight ahead, over to the 
left. Never, either before or since, have I heard 
hornets buzz and whizz round me like that ; as if 
a whole swarm were behind me. ‘ The one that’s 
gone won’t return,’ I told myself, ‘ and the one that 
reaches you you’ll not hear.’ 

“ And I felt quite gay, as if the whole thing was 
only a joke • a little, amusing, practical joke they 
were playing, not on me, but on someone else ; 
some distant acquaintance perhaps. 

“ Now I must surely be beyond their range. I 


HETTY GEYBERT 


73 


give a quick look back ; they have jumped up behind 
me, and I see them, straight and tall, on the hill, six 
of them at regular intervals, dark against the sun¬ 
light, as though they were cut out with scissors in 
black glazed paper, ; three standing and three kneeling. 
And . . . oh, cursed fate! One of the fellows 
there has pricked me a little in the leg with a long 
sharp needle—up here—and there is a red bleeding 
furrow as broad as my hand on the horse’s back. 
The pain frightens the creature ; he takes the bit 
between his teeth and tears away. I drop forward, 
just conscious enough to cling to my horse’s neck, 
and then I hear confused voices and see someone 
put a pistol to the poor beast’s ear. They cut off 
my red dispatch-bag, and two tall, fair men take 
me on their shoulders and carry me to a peasant’s 
cottage. At first they thought I had been shot in the 
chest, for my whole coat was stiff with blood, but 
that was only from the horse. And then they wanted 
to take off my leg, for the top of the bone—look, 
Kossling, here—had got a bit out of shape. But I 
said they must be kind enough not to, for I had no 
wish to hop through the world on three legs. And 
they saw the sense of that too.” 

Jason did not tell the tale as I have written it, but 
with much more animation and excitement in voice and 
gesture, often interrupted, too, by his listener’s ex¬ 
clamations and questions. 

But Jenny, before his tale was half told, changed 
over to Aunt Rika’s circle, where less exciting and 
terrible subjects of conversation were the order of 
the day, since they were just discussing the superiority 
of Rosinen Street to the Charlottenburg Road, which 
was too busy and, above all, too crowded with people 
from Berlin. 

Hetty had become very serious and thoughtful, for, 
as Jason told his tale, she was thinking of someone 
even nearer to her, whom the bullet had struck higher 
up, two years later at Ligny, between the floating 
ribs, as Jason had so often told her. 


74 HETTY GEYBERT 


Kossling did not notice the change in Hetty’s face, 
and asked her: “You did not see any more of the 
war?" 

“ I was two years old then, and cannot remember 
any more. But I seem to have a hazy memory of a 
man in a red uniform taking me on his arm. That 
must have been my father. But Uncle Jason has 
told me so much that I sometimes think it was all 
my own experience." 

“ Well, then you have only known the war from 
the side of the French, for in your Uncle Jason’s 
opinion Bliicher was only a boor and a simpleton. 

“Kossling! Kossling! ’’ Jason exclaimed, as^ a 
deep frown of indignation crossed his forehead. “ I 
have given different tales of the war than those you 
heard at school or those your children will hear. 
For we have, as Frenchmen—since you are determined 
to hear it once more—felt better off here. For us 
Prussians and for us Jews there has, alas! been no 
1790 so far. But, thank Heaven, we haven’t seen 
the end of everything yet." 

Kossling did not answer, and Hetty, too, showed 
that the whole conversation had depressed her, for 
this war had decided her fate before she was able 


to exercise her own judgment, and she had paid 
too heavy a toll not to hate it and its memory—just 
as bitterly as Uncle Jason, who had been deprived 
by the same war of all that he had in earlier days 
begun or accomplished. His poor crippled leg had 
certainly protected him later from Spandau, Magdeburg 
and Wesel, for in 1820 he had been denounced as a 
revolutionary, and had had to submit to long inquiries 
and legal proceedings. 

He never spoke of this intercourse with Father 
Dambach, and even Kossling knew nothing of his 
months as political prisoner. But Uncle Jason’s love 
for the ruling house and system of government had 
not been increased by these experiences. 

Kossling said that neither had he many memories 
of the war. A horse-soldief had once, in Brunswick, 


HETTY GEYBERT 75 

taken him on his horse, and the bearded fellow had 
laughed at his tears and sobs. 

“Uncle, sing something?” Hetty broke in gendy, 
almost sadly, and went to the piano. 

Not till now did it occur to Kosslingi that it really 
would have been wiser not to turn the conversation 
in this direction. His eyes followed Hetty and he 
felt as though he must ask her forgiveness for his 
tactlessness in reviving these old stories and so giving 
pain to one so dear. 

Ferdinand, who had just lifted his hand with the 
seven of hearts preparatory to dashing the piece of 
cardboard on to the table, as soon as he saw the 
preparations at the piano, let the card sail gently in 
an arc across the table. He had savoir vivre ; it is 
true he did not care for music, but even if he 
found it unpleasant, he was not afraid of it and 
submitted to its waves and ripples without the quiver 
of an eyelid. But he took his revenge in merciless 
criticism. 

His own repertoire on the piano was not extensive, 
consisting only of the first five bars of the overture 
to Iphigenia , which he had picked up by some chance. 
But he knew how to make such clever use of his 
accomplishment, that no one, up till now, had ever 
noticed that he never got beyond it. Jason was 
musical, but in the last few years his voice had suffered 
from Drucker’s bad wines ; they had made his throat 
as rough as a nutmeg-grater and his musical powers 
and understanding were only good enough for home 
requirements. 

Even Aunt Minnie’s circle lowered their voices when 
they saw Jason standing by the piano and Hetty 
lighting the candles. 

“ Sing Jean Grillon,” exclaimed Janey. 

Jason stood leaning against the piano with his 
lame leg somewhat bent, then passed his hand over 
his hair and sang in quick, lively time whilst Hetty 
accompanied with a few chords. 




76 


HETTY GEYBERT 


" I’m a Frenchie, ladies fair, 

Comme 9a, with my leg of wood ; 

Called Jean Grillon, and I dare 
To take pride in my leg of wood. 

And so with laughter, hugs and kisses.”— 

Jenny and Wolfgang nudged one another signifi¬ 
cantly— 


" Comme 9a, with my leg of wood. 

This heart is Frenchie—God’s truth, this is ! 

Ferdinand was not satisfied with his brother’s vocal 
performance. “ Jason,” he said kindly, “ you howl 
to-day like nothing but a dog baying the moon.” 

But Kossling said that it was quite nice ; he was 
always discovering fresh sides in Jason Geybert. “ Do 
you sing Schubert?” 

“ Not here,” answered Jason, who knew his 
audience. “ Listen now, this is more popular, and 
besides, it really is quite nice. Do you know it? 

" To my uncle’s quick goes Nante, 

Keen to put his watch in pledge; 

Buys a hat to give to me. 

While we drive just by the Spree. 

When we came to cross the bridge, 

Puff ! the wind has caught my hat; 

Out jumps Nante, springs in water. 

Fishes for and quick he caught her. 

Now, who else would have done it ? ” 

The last line Jason poured forth with great gusto 
and the children sang with him ; even Ferdinand could 
not help nodding his head and beating time with his 
feet. 

Kossling, however, had heard but little, as his 
thoughts and eyes had been entirely taken up by Hetty, 
sitting proud and upright on her chair, her head a 
little to one side, half lost in daydreams, whilst her 
white hands played a few soft, unobtrusive chords to 


HETTY GEYBERT 77 

suit the song. She could not play well, that he felt, 
but she had feeling for tone and rhythm, for the 
whole of her being was music. 

“ N °w, Kossling,” exclaimed Jason, still drying his 
forehead with a spotted silk handkerchief, “ are you 
ready? Or must we first open the windows to let 
the last notes of my profane song vanish into space? 

“ Do you like music, Demoiselle Hetty? But I need 
not ask after your playing. What would you like? 
Beethoven? Do you know this march of his?” He 
played with one finger the quick, clear measure and 
then began. 

No one had ever thought that such power, such a: 
flood of music, lay hidden in this old brown box, from; 
which issued such tones as this green room had never 
heard before. Kossling played all they asked for, 
Barbier or Mozart, Haydn or Gluck. In the andante 
of the Fifth Sonata the room was filled as with an 
organ’s note, so that even Ferdinand laid down his 
cards, shut his eyes, and nodded his head whilst he 
beat time with his foot. Then in the overture to 
Figaro the glass strings of the narrow keyboard poured 
forth delicate silvery tones into every hole and corner 
of the room. 

Ferdinand got up to stand by the piano and utilised 
a pause to show off his knowledge. “ Can you play 
this? ” he said, striking a couple of notes. “ I fancy 
it is Gluck.” 

“ Of course,” Kossling replied, “it is the overture 
to Iphigenia , but you haven’t got it quite right : 
C natural here, not C sharp.” 

Ferdinand was quite content and pleased to be 
taught ; his reputation was safe at any rate. 

Solomon came up to Kossling now. “ How you 
play, Doctor ! It is a real joy to listen to you. I tell 
you—you could earn lots of money with that my sic.” 

‘‘Well, perhaps, when all other trades fail.” 

“ And, Doctor, do play the ‘ Last Waltz of a Mad¬ 
man.’ It is quite a new piece. I saw it yesterday at 
Challier’s, by the Spittel Bridge.” 



78 HETTY GEYBERT 

But that Kossling did not play. ff 

“Where have you learnt all this, Doctor?’’ asked 
Hetty, who, as Kossling sat at the piano, had been 
looking at him with the same evident joy as his 
eyes had shown in her ; for Kossling s face grew 
refined and inspired when his fingers touched the keys. 
“ Where have you learnt it? ’ a 

“ In Brunswick, at home, Fraulein Hetty,” said 
Kossling, without pausing in his music. “ There was 
an old organist—he had somehow been driven to 
Brunswick much as Lessing was to Wolfenbiittel— and 
he was a musical genius. Even when he was sober, 
which happened perhaps ten times a year. He gave 
me lessons for nothing, and always said I must become 
something great, do what he had not achieved. Not 
one farthing did he get for it, year in, year out. . . . 
A pity we couldn’t give it him, first for us and. second 
for him. For the old organist needed brandy, and 
was never so unhappy as on those ten days in the 
year when he was not drunk. But then his friends 
and his pupils never left him a moment by himself, 
for fear lest he should do himself a mischief.”' 

“You are a native of Brunswick ? ’* 

“Do you know the town, Fraulein Hetty?” 

“ No.” 

Then Kossling sat down by her side and began to 
tell her : 

“ It is an old town, Fraulein Hetty, with very 
narrow streets and courtyards. But if some evening 
at sundown you see it from Windmiihlen Hill, it is 
as red as a field of poppies. As a boy, I have sat 
up there many an afternoon with my books and looked 
down on the red town with its many gables and towers 
—a field, nothing but a red field of tiled roofs! Life 
there is not like life in Berlin. It is so quiet—just 
the court and the theatre, and that is all. It was too 
narrow for me. I could not stay. No doubt I could 
have got on there, for I had influential friends. But 
I couldn’t ; I am not the man for that, and would 
rather fail in Berlin than succeed in Brunswick ! ” 



HETTY GEYBERT 79 

The approach of the maid with rolls and beer 
interrupted their talk for a time. 

* * * * * 

The gentlemen were still at their cards, playing one 
rubber after another, although the candles had by 
now burnt down to mere red sputtering ends. Bu,t 
Ferdinand was losing, to his annoyance. Wolfgang 
had grown so tired that he had fallen asleep with his 
head on the little old lady’s lap, and there she sat with 
her small, tight curls quite motionless and afraid to 
stir lest she should disturb him. Jenny’s eyes were 
half shut, and even the Vienna rolls could arouse 
no enthusiasm in her. Rika and Janey began to 
abuse Hetty for always staying with the men—an 
arrant flirt she was! But Minnie defended her and 
said she saw no harm in it ; in her time she had 
done just the same with her Eli. Eli was now quite 
wide-awake and gay, talking to the three ladies. 

“ They treat us abominably all our lives, do the 
women. The day before yesterday—my Minnie there 
—she says she is going to Goldmann’s, they have 
invited her to drink a cup o’ tea. ‘ Minnie,’ I say, 

4 stop at home ; what do you want to go out in this 
weather for? I’ll have a bucketful of tea made for 
you and then you can drink as much as you want ! ’ 
Well, who should go but my Minnie. At first I was 
angry, but when she was back again I was glad sh& 
was none the worse for it. Yes, the women treat us 
abominably—when we are young they do it and when 
we are old, ten times more ! ” 

But Rika and Janey did not agree, and maintained 
it was the other way round ; they, at any rate, had 
no power over their husbands. But Uncle Eli said 
it was plain enough that was not a fact, for Solomon 
—and Ferdinand even more so—had been nothing 
but Frenchmen before they were married and now 
they had grown into respectable German citizens. 
Janey smiled compassionately but, as she did not 
care for the conversation before her son Max, she 


80 HETTY GEYBERT 

betook herself to the piano, sat down on tire soft little 
chair—looking as broad as a flounder perched on it— 
and sang “ Casta Diva ” from Norma, whilst she 
fumbled about on the keys with the tip of one finger. 

It was a wretched performance. Ferdinand felt 
it a personal insult and, in an undertone, gave his 
wife to understand that she was to hold her tongue , 
they were not by themselves here— whatever would 
Dr. Kossling think of it I For Ferdinand was still 

losing. , i • 

Kossling never gave a thought to Janey s playing , 
perhaps, indeed, he never heard her song. He was 
happy in Hetty’s society as she sat listening to his 
tales of Brunswick. He told her there was nothing 
in Berlin like the Rathaus Market ; there it was easy to 
understand Wackenroder ... it was like fairyland to 
pass by in the evening and see the delicate tracery, 
of the arches like the lace in a Brussels handkerchief. 
Here everything was so new—streets, people and houses 
—everything so straight ; Brunswick now always 
looked like an untidy cupboard and yet was beautiful 

in spite of all. f 

He talked and talked. Hetty, standing in front 
of him by the mirror, had opened a jar of potpourri 
with its sweet aromatic scent ; she thrust her hand 
into the rose-lelaves, now and again raising her arm 
to let the delicate leaves trickle with a gentle rustling 
through her fingers into the vase once more. 

Kossling talked of his boyhood’s friend, whom he 
had never seen again, although they had loved one 
another like Orestes and Pylades, or like body and 
soul. And Hetty told of like experiences, of how 
she still kept the outpourings on paper of love and 
friendship from those very friends who now ignored 
her entirely and scarcely spoke, even if they met her. 
Her bosom friend had married a Captain of the Guard 
here, and of course that put an end to any idea of 
intercourse. She sometimes had strange feelings as 
she turned over the pages of her album. 

Kossling wondered if he might look at it ; would 


HETTY GEYBERT 81 

she be kind enough to show it to him? He would 
so like to see it. 

“ Of course, I will fetch it,” Hetty said, and went. 
Kosslmg- was left standing alone, for Jason, who for 
some little time had been hovering round the whist- 
table like a marten round a dovecote, had at last 
agreed to relieve dummy from his arduous task. 

He was always reluctant to take a hand at cards, 
for he knew himself too well and realised that if 
once he sat down it would be far more difficult to 
induce him to get up again. His temperament ran 
away with him as soon as he began to play, and the 
premium he had paid in his youth had taught him 
to avoid places where cards were dealt and 
money handled. But here in this domestic game 
of whist between brothers—surely nothing much 
could happen ! 

So Kossling was left standing alone. 

He felt as though every light in the chandelier had 
gone out ; it had suddenly grown dark when the door 
closed behind Hetty. So long as she still stood on 
the threshold and he could see her white shoulders 
under the golden ribbons, so long as he could see 
her neck below the beautiful line of vigorous black 
hair, the room had been quite bright and festive, but 
now it was filled with a depressing fog. 

For a moment Kossling thought of going to the 
ladies or to the card-table, but changed his mind and 
went to the books. And as he stood apparently 
studying the titles, he kept an eye on the white door 
to see when it opened. 

Then Hetty came back, carrying quite unostenta¬ 
tiously a thin little book bound in red morocco leather 
and, in a moment, the chandelier lights all brightened 
up again and the room was flooded with light to its 
farthest corner. 

And now they stood by the piano, their heads 
close together, bending over the pages that Hetty 
was slowly turning. 

On one page there was always delicate pointed 
6 


82 HETTY GEYBERT 

handwriting and on the other a little picture, a seal, 
a silhouette, a tiny painting, a lock of hair tied with 
a narrow silk ribbon, or a pressed flower : Vivons 

nous trois : vous, l’amitid et moi,” and a forget-me-not 
above it. 

“ Who is that? ” 

“ A friend of uncle’s.” 

The answer pierced Kossling to the heart ; he 
could have cried aloud. 

“ Look, here she is, my friend, Caroline Ceestov. 
Do you see the pretty little temple and the trees at 
the back? She had a turn for drawing at school. 

“ I asked not amiss 
For the greatest of bliss, 

When Providence gave me 
A true friend in thee. 

Doesn’t that sound like never parting? Such things 
should really never be written, for they always turn 
out untrue. . . .’ 

“ Here is Janey Simon. So pathetic she was and 
in the first class always recited Schiller’s ‘ Laura at 
the Piano ’ through her nose.” 

“ ‘ Spin slowly ye Fates, for she is my friend ! In 
memory of thy ever faithful Johanna. My mark : 
May 15th.’” 

“ Oh yes, so May 15th? On the most beautiful day 
of the most beautiful month. But that I can well 
understand . . . any other day for you would have 
been but an insult from Providence.” 

Their heads were still very close together, and Hetty 
turned as red as any poppy. Janey and Rika were 
whispering behind her and the little old maid with 
her tight curls did not at all approve of Hetty’is 
behaviour either ; indeed, she was so surprised and 
shocked at it that she dropped a stitch, a thing she 
had not done for months. 

“Who is this here?” Kossling asked. “Who, I 
wonder, drew this little altar with Cupid close by? 
Why, it is as fine as an engraving ! ” 


HETTY GEYBERT 83 

“ Oh, that’s Uncle Jason’s,” said Hetty, turning the 
page quickly. 

“ How well he draws! Mayn’t I look at it again? ” 

“ Uncle Jason really wanted to be an artist, but his 
father would not allow it. Just afterwards he was 
to have carried on grandfather’s business—he could 
have found scope in it for all his talents, for grand¬ 
father was Court jeweller, and all the silver things 
you see here—and those in the cupboard over there— 
we got from him. But then Jason was ill with his 
leg for years, and meantime the business was given up. 
And he would, in any case, not have continued as 
Court jeweller.” 

“ May I see it once more? ” 

Hetty turned back, but kept her hand over the 
writing. 

“ Mayn’t I see, too, what sort of verse he has 
written? ” 

Hetty slowly moved her hand a little higher up the 
page, so that under her thumb and the long narrow 
first finger with its rosy nail the name Jason appeared 
in tall characters adorned with wonderful flourishes. 

“And I may not see any more?”- 

“ Why not,” Hetty answered. There isn’t really 
any harm in it either ; it was only one of uncle’s 
jokes.” And very slowly she pushed her hand down. 

And they both read in an undertone, line by line : 

“ Thy friend I’ll stay till devils pray. 

And angels utter curses deep ; 

Till mouse loves cat—and well-a-day ! 

Till all the maids their virtue keep.” 

With the last word Hetty shut the book and they 
both lifted their heads and laughed together. 

“ I shall make a note of this poem,” said Kossling. 

Hetty pushed the book carefully into a corner of the 
window-ledge and said : 

“We must join the others now—they are already 
talking about us.” 

And they went side by side—they had almost gone 


84 HETTY GEYBERT 

arm-in-arm—in happy gaiety through the drawing¬ 
room to the other end where Aunt Rika sat enthroned, 
surrounded by her illustrious court. 

Minnie saw them coming. 

“ Just look, Janey, what a handsome couple,” she 
said in an undertone. 

But Janey only shook her head indignantly. 

“ Why, Hetty, how you look to-day—quite charm¬ 
ing! Like Lavinia ! ” 

Hetty and Kossling were both standing before little 
high-shouldered Aunt Minnie, who sat perched on her 
chair like a miniature purple mountain and looked 
down on her with a laugh. 

“ What are you laughing at, Doctor? It is certainly 
no disgrace for her to look like that. After all,; 
Lavinia is Raphael’s most beautiful painting.” 

“ And you, Auntie,” Hetty said, “ in your new 
purple gown look like—like the violet that blooms 
in the shade.” 

‘‘You tease. I’m just an old woman now,” the 
little aunt answered as bashfully as a young thing of 
sixteen. “ In my day, I was very pretty too—but 
not so pretty as you—I never had your figure. You 
are a true Geybert, you see.” 

‘‘Doctor, how you play—divinely! You’ve no idea 
how passionately I love music ! ” Rika said with a 
sidelong glance that had been one of her charms thirty 
years ago as she smiled at the Doctor. 

Hetty was astounded at this love of music, for, 
although she had now lived all but twenty-five years 
with Aunt Rika, this taste of hers had completely 
escaped her notice. 

“ Have you enjoyed your evening, Doctor? ” Janey 
inquired. 

“ Exceedingly.” 

‘‘It is a pity we have had none of your company 
at all! ” Janey continued, somewhat tartly. 

“ Be quiet now, the Doctor has no doubt enjoyed 
himself more with the young folk,” broke in Rika. 

Hetty stood with tears in her eyes, although these 


85 


HETTY GEYBERT 

remarks were not really unexpected. What did they 
always want her to do! He had certainly not come 
on her account! 

“ I think Hetty was quite right to keep the Doctor 
for herself,” Aunt Minnie said in kind-hearted, if 
not very tactful defence. 

“Old wives’ gossip!” spluttered Eli. “So they 
were to sit down to listen to the talk about Minna’s 
young man! Am I not right. Doctor, the women¬ 
folk treat us abominably. Look out there on Gallows 
Hill. What’s written up there ? It is always the 
women’s fault—always the women’s.” 

Kossling defended himself as far as he could, 
for he plainly saw that all the blame would fall on 
Hetty, standing here defenceless, so he hastened, there¬ 
fore, to find some other topic of conversation. He 
asked if they were going away this summer and 
where, a question that wound up Aunt Rika like a 
musical clock and set her off on her waltz tunes. 
She set all the advantages of Rosinen Street before 
Kossling in their best light after drawing comparisons 
between Pankov, Schoneberg and Charlottenburg ; and 
she added she was going to engage rooms this very 
week—she was only hesitating between three sets— 
and she hoped the Doctor would be able to come out 
and see her one day. 

To which Kossling consented. 

And now Uncle Eli began to hold forth in great 
detail and with an earnestness that would have 
befitted a speech concerning the German nation— 
on scrambled eggs and asparagus—giving with such 
exactitude the method of preparation, and the record 
of good and bad asparagus years as reminded Kossling 
of Brillat Savarin. 

This manoeuvre of the old nutcracker’s turned the 
conversation to food in general, and Hetty was lost 
in wonder as Aunt Rika disclosed to her sister all 
the state secrets connected with fruit-preserving. She 
would certainly never have confided her experiences 
to anyone else, but here she could be sure they 


86 HETTY GEYBERT 

would not be misused. For it was much cheaper for 
Janey to eat her sister Rika’s preserved nuts—that had 
to soak in tepid syrup for a week and then be pricked 
with a “ clean ” needle—than to lay in a store for 
herself. 

Max, too, thawed at last and began a literary 
conversation with Kossling in which he called Gutzkow 
an ass and Eichendorff a driveller. He showed some 
respect for Heine, but said he was on wrong paths 
now. In any case, Langenschwarz was a greater 
genius ; did Kossling know his European Song's? 

Kossling sat aghast. In literary circles he had 
heard all kinds of criticism, but none of such 
impertinent audacity as this. When Max let fall that 
he too followed literary pursuits, Kossling advised 
him to translate something from' English ; Byron 
perhaps. He would thus become acquainted with the 
poet and would get enforced self-discipline in form 
and rhythm. 

“ I have done that already,” Max replied, wrinkling 
his forehead and shading his eyes with his hand ; “ and 
I was told—I was told—that my translation of Child 
Harold was superior even to Freiligrath’s.” 

The source of this criticism he did not disclose. 

Kossling sat lost in silent thought. He wondered 
if he too had once been like this, and he thought 
of the nights filled with joy when, by the light of 
tallow-candles bought with the hard-earned gain of 
his lessons—for he gave lessons of all kinds, music, 
Latin, gymnastics and mathematics at one and a half 
silver groschen the hour—when he read for the first 
time Wilhelm Meister and Heinrich von Ofterdingen 
—he remembered as a dream those days when the 
Buck der Lieder first came into his hands and he had 
sat up on the Windmiihlen Hill whilst the whole 
familiar world, the trees, the red roofs below, the 
mountain-ranges, blue in the distance—everything had 
looked at him with new, enchanted eyes. Was this 
now another race or only another generation? 

But then something unexpected happened, something 


HETTY GEYBERT 


87 


that took them all by surprise. Janey, Minnie, Rika 
and Uncle Eli, all of them—yes, and the little old 
lady with tight curls—started so violently that 
Wolfgang’s head slid off her lap and the boy, thinking 
it was time to start for school, woke with a groan. 
Only Jenny was undisturbed and continued her peaceful 
sleep on Aunt Janey’s plump shoulder. 

“ Now, Max, I don’t think that is of any interest 
to the Doctor,” Hetty had said suddenly—had actually 
said it in a tone that admitted of no misunderstanding, 
trembling as it did with long-restrained feeling. “ You 
are simply making yourself ludicrous.” 

Deep silence fell, as before the breaking of a 
thunderstorm. 

Max answered in no audible words, only muttered 
something that might have been “ idiot ” and “ family 
considerations.” 

But Janey showed herself more eloquent in her son’s 
defence. 

“ I think Max’s conversation interests the Doctor, 
at any rate as much as yours, Hetty ! Stupid 

girl,” she added inwardly. 

Then occurred the second astounding event of the 
evening. 

“ As the only one, Madam, who is in a position 
to speak on this point, I am sorry to say you are 
mistaken,” Kossling said, smiling very politely but 
very firmly, as he looked towards Hetty. 

Everyone agreed that he was a very rude man 

who must not be invited again, and they determined 

to reproach Jason for ever having thought of 
introducing him. 

Peace reigned for a moment, but a peace full of 
tension and the room was filled with the feeling that 
the time had come to part. 

‘‘Doctor, may I give you a cigar?” Eli said, 
producing a little leather case. 

“ But, Eli, you are surely not going to smoke here 
in the best room?” 

‘‘Well, Minnie, perhaps you think I shall go on 


88 


HETTY GEYBERT 


purpose to the New Market. Just help yourself, 
Doctor ; this little one is good. What a business it 
is with cigars, I tell you ; either they are too fat, arid 
then they bite, or else they are not properly rolled in 
an outside leaf, and then they won’t draw, and drop 
ash everywhere. For my part, I would rather smoke 
a pipe. In days gone by I used to take a good 
bit of snuff too. Just help yourself—here, I have 
got a tinder-box in my pocket too. You can finish 
smoking it on your way home, arid if Mr. Under - 
Commissioner accosts you, just say I gave you the 
cigar—he knows me.” 

The whist-players, too, now began to push back 
their chairs preparatory to making a move. 

‘‘It is time to leave off,” said Jason, stretching 
himself. “ I scarcely know how to sit any longer.” 

The Swede bowed to the three brothers with his 
usual ‘‘ tak.” Not without good reason, for he was 
going home a few thalers richer than when he came. 
But that was no matter—for Solomon would get it 
back tenfold on his order. 

“ I say, sister-in-law,” Ferdinand called out to his 
hostess, “ you will have to get the floor taken up 
here—I am firmly convinced that just here, do you 
see, a cobbler is buried. Or else there could not 
possibly be so much wax in one spot!” 

“Do you think so?” said Rika, who had heard 
this joke of his certainly fifty times already. “ I’ll! 
send for carpenter Dorftling to-morrow.” 

“ I say, Solomon, could you, by any chance, give 
me a lantern ?—it is moonshine in the almanack 
to-day,” Jason said merrily—“ or can’t you spare it? ” 

“ It would be just as well, Jason, I fancy, if you 
didn’t throw any special light on your paths,” Solomon 
answered. 

“Now, what are we waiting for?” Eli asked, for 
he was all at once impatient to be gone. 

“ May I take another coffee cake to eat on the 
way?” Jenny begged, in a coaxing aside, as she 
cuddled up against Hetty. 


HETTY GEYBERT 


89 


Wolfgang, still overcome with sleep, literally 
staggered to the door, whilst Max departed with the 
dignity of some deposed king. 

“ I have really quite enjoyed meeting you,” Uncle 
Eli remarked affably. 

Kossling smiled and Jason supplemented the smile 
with “ That, ‘ really,’ Uncle, is delicious.” 

“ Well, and isn’t it true, Jason? ” 

Minnie, too, did not let Kossling go without saying : 

“ Perhaps you will sometime give us the pleasure 
of a visit. We are, of course, homely old people 
and our home is not so grand as my nephew Solomon’s, 
but just come. You only need to ask for Herr 
Geybert’s house and every child on the Steinweg will 
direct you.” 

Janey passed Kossling, Minnie and Jason with a 
cool, stiff inclination of her head—most ceremoniously 
—without the quiver of an eyelid. It is true she was 
not, by any means, a devoted mother, but for other 
people to cast a slur on them was more than she could 
endure. 

“ What is the matter with the silly creature now? ” 
Jason asked in amazement. 

Kossling was about to answer when Solomon came 
up to them, and shaking Kossling’s hand, said : 

“ Do come again very soon, Doctor—and I must 
thank you again most heartily for our musical treat. 
In olden days we used to have a great deal of music ; 
in my late father’s time, every Thursday in the winter 
we always had a quartette evening when even the 
opera players used to join us. But somehow—I 
don’t know why—we have nothing of that kind now ! ” 

He did know why, well enough, but he saw no 
reason why he should discuss that with Kossling. 

The passage was quite crowded with all of them 
looking for their wraps. Aunt Janey could not find 
her lace scarf and maintained that it must have been 
stolen, until someone told her that there it was 
hanging on a peg as large as life. Then she was 
sure that a minute before it had not been there, where- 


90 


HETTY GEYBERT 


upon Ferdinand, who lacked the preliminary knowledge 
necessary to understand the inner meaning of this 
manoeuvre, advised her when she went to Schoneberg 
for the summer to be sure to visit the institution there 
with the French name where they could perhaps do 
something to cure her mental aberration. 

Aunt Minnie, at Uncle Eli’s instigation, borrowed 
a wrap from Hetty in case of emergency, but did 
not put it on. 

The maid—the one with bare arms—came with a 
lantern to light them down the steps. 

Solomon and Rika stood in the doorway, shaking. 
everyone’s hand and assuring them that the pleasure 
had been theirs entirely, whilst Hetty had stepped out 
into the porch. 

Kossling took her hand. 

“ I hope we shall soon see each other again and that 
there will not be another interval of thirty thousand 
.years between to-day and our next meeting, for we 
have certainly met before somewhere and somewhen, 
although, I fancy, we have both forgotten the exact 
circumstances of that meeting.” 

“ Oh no, I remember,” laughed Hetty, “ but I 
mustn’t tell. So good-bye till we meet again, very 
soon, I hope.” 

“ I hope so, indeed!” 

Meantime, the others were passing them as they 
went down the broad steps by the lantern’s flickering 
light. 

The children tripped on in front, two steps at a 
time ; the old lady felt about with her foot for every 
step, and Minnie and Eli had taken arms very firmly, 
both thinking they must look after the other, and for 
that reason go especially slowly, dragging each other 
this way and that. 

Jason took firm hold of the handrail and went 
down step by step, whistling as he went the call for 
departure. 

Kossling understood it, and bent down to kiss 
Hetty’s hand, still lying plump, soft and warm in 


HETTY GEYBERT 91 

his grasp. And it was well that it was too dark for 
him to see how Hetty flushed—flushed a fiery red. 

Then he went without a word, his head turned, not 
directly towards Hetty, but enough to catch a glimpse 
of her in her light gown, as he passed slowly down 
the steps. 

Hetty stood by the balustrade above, hearing more 
than she could see in the dark-covered stairway, with 
its dim flickering lights and the tap, tap of the 
re-echoing footsteps—heard the creaking of the gate 
and the high and low tones in the confusion of 
voices. 

“Hetty ! Hetty ! Do come in! Whatever are you 
doing out there?” Aunt Rika exclaimed as she 
appeared in the doorway with unbuttoned bodice. 

Hetty went in with slow and thoughtful steps, feeling 
as though her feet well-nigh refused to carry her, as 
though each moment she must collapse as she went 
straight on and put out the candles. 

Meantime, Solomon came, in his shirt-sleeves—he 
had already taken off his coat—to say good night to 
her. 

As he kissed her forehead he said : 

“ I fancy Rika is vexed with you. She said some¬ 
thing about it. So see that is all put right again 
soon, my little lass.” 

He never spoke in such gentle, kindly tones to her 
before her aunt, for he was afraid they would be 
wrongly interpreted. 

Then he, too, went. 

When the lights were out, suddenly the room was 
flooded by moonlight, whilst outside, roofs and ridges 
glistened in the rays that passed over them to paint 
long white bands on the dark floor. 

Hetty stepped up once more to the window into 
the clear pale-green light that shone full upon her 
face as she looked down on the street. Yes, there 
they went in the distance. First, Janey with the 
children, then Ferdinand and the Swede—she could 
quite easily recognise them all—Eli and Minnie and 



92 


HETTY GEYBERT 


last of all Jason and Kossling. . . . She looked after 
them till they stopped at the corner to say good-bye 
and then she went to her room. The door on to 
the balcony stood open and the air was filled with 
the pungent scent of the walnut-tree, breathing its 
fragrance into the spring night as if it must pour out 
its very soul. 

Hetty stepped out, almost touching the branches with 
her face and feeling the pleasant coolness of the iron as 
for a moment she laid her hot hands upon the railing. 

The sky was quite dark, yet flickered as with some 
hidden phosphorescent light, and two solitary stars 
twinkled in this dark, glimmering curtain. Above 
her the house-walls, the windows, the roofs of the 
out-buildings were bright as day, gilded with the 
yellow light, but below, the courtyard lay in such 
shade that only very gradually could she distinguish 
any objects in it. 

Hetty stood for a little space, until hearing a 
rustling, low voices, giggles, whispers and very cautious 
steps, she bent over the railing and saw beneath her 
a girl with a lantern and a man in a white jacket. 
She turned and went into her room. . . . 

***** 

At the corner of Konig Street the various groups 
parted and went their several ways, as did the nations 
after the building of the Tower of Babel. 

Aunt Minnie and Uncle Eli strolled along quietly 
in the direction of Konig Bridge, whilst Ferdinand 
Geybert’s caravan marched past them quickly in a 
phalanx or rather in the battle order of the ancient 
Germans. The Swede went to the right up Burg 
Street to the “King of Portugal,” where he had his 
room, accompanied by the old lady with the tight 
curls, who thought it necessary to talk to him and 
considered it a mark of pride on his part not to 
answer. She herself lived in Post Street. 

Jason and Kossling stood in the moonlight, at the 
corner of the street, watching the others disappear. 



HETTY GEYBERT 93 

“Now, dear Doctor, what shall we do?” Jason 
Geybert asked, almost anxiously. 

It is late, let us go to bed,” answered Kossling, 
who had a longing to be alone. 

Yes, young man that you are, you go home now, 
run up your stairs, get into bed, sleep and dream 
something nice. Or you light your candle, fetch 
Novalis from the bookshelf—he is too German for 
me, but I .know you like that in him 1 —you fetch Novalis 
from the shelf, perhaps open the window to let the 
cool breeze blow over the trees into your room, whilst 
you declaim into the night : ‘ The world lies far 

below with its merry pleasures. Lights appeared in 
other dwellings, homes of gaiety.’ ... I know that of 
old. I used to do the same, only perhaps I read 
instead Travel Pictures or the Titan. But what can 
I do now ? Do you think I can read now ? I can 
get along very well all day long, but at night my 
demon seizes me. Whenever I have seen my brotheii 
Ferdinand’s children, then I never get a wink of sleep. 
I ask you, wasn’t I more fitted to have children and 
to educate them than my brother, who has not the 
slightest idea what to do with them ? Well, yes. 
Max and Wolfgang; may be quite nice lads, but it 
is the girl, Jenny, that I grudge to Ferdinand. Did 
you notice the child’s walk ? One day she will be 
exactly like Hetty.” 

‘‘Yes, certainly, she is like her, very like ; but 
there is something about her face—a little touch of 
something common, a hint of worldliness, just a 
suggestion of lack of spiritual refinement, entirely 
absent in Hetty.” 

“ Yes, that is not from our side—that comes from 
the Jacobys. And then, this loneliness. As long 
as you are young, Kossling, rejoice that you can be 
alone, but when you grow older—about the half- 
century you know—then weep, because you must be 
alone.” 

“ It is, perhaps, a very good thing that I did not 
marry, for in such miarried life as my brothers lead I 




94 


HETTY GEYBERT 


should have gone to ruin, have been ecrase, casse ! And 
then, of course, you do not know how the others look 
upon us here. You have been this evening a kind of 
strange monster, if not the arch-enemy himself. We 
are outsiders at the Derby—we do not belong 
to them. A Frenchman and an Englishman, both of 
them ignorant of the other’s language, will agree 
more easily and quickly than we and the others. 
There is only one aim and object for them. Have a 
calling—be something—make money ! If you earn 
ten Louis d’or every day, you are more in their eyes 
than all the Schillers, Goethes, Mozarts. For other 
things, for inefficiency, for want of accomplishment 
from aversion, for all justifiable failure, they have no 
understanding. There is only one proof for them, 
and that is : success. We are even for Uncle Eli 
the ‘ young man,’ upon whom he looks with compassion 
even though we are sixty years old. My brothers 
used not to be quite so bad, but the Jacobys have 
infected them. . . . And, Kossling, though it may 
seem as if you found in them some response 
to what you feel, it is but pretence—everything goes 
in at one ear and out at the other. With the exception 
of Hetty—she belongs to us, Kossling.” 

Kossling was astonished, for he had never before 
heard Jason Geybert speak in this strain. He was 
accustomed to find in him 1 one who enjoyed making 
an art of living with taste and unfailing mental tact, 
one whose lips rarely betrayed his inner feelings and 
who touched everything with gentle irony, so that it 
was impossible ever to get a clear idea of his thoughts 
and convictions. So many an evening in the six 
months that had passed since their chance acquaintance 
at Steheli’s they had strolled together up and down 
the streets, talking over old favourites, discussing the 
poets of the day, but Jason Geybert had seldom 
or never lifted his mask of conventionality or led 
the conversation to personal topics. And therefore 
Kossling was the more astounded at suddenly coming 
upon such an ice-field of loneliness in Jason Geybert. 




HETTY GEYBERT 95 

It almost filled him with terror to find that this man 
was no better off than he himself and others, but 
carried his own heavy burdens of misery and sorrow. 

“Herr Geybert, how about getting home?” asked 
Kossling, turning into Konig Street, where in the 
moonlight their shadows lay long and sharply defined 
before their feet. 

But Jason Geybert continued his train of thought, 
whilst the want of harmony with his surroundings 
brought into ever clearer relief his own inner discord. 
“And why not, Kossling? I dare say I could have 
married. Then, Kossling, I should at least have had 
someone to speak to and would not have needed 
to creep away every evening like an old hound into 
his kennel. But what was I then? Not a merchant, 
not a literary man, for I write nothing. I was not 
a scholar, although I attend lectures here, year in, 
year out . . . yet perhaps I might have . . . many a 
time I long for children like some old maid I Once I 
knew a girl of twenty, Susanne Paetov—of good family, 
a nice, capable little thing . . . but as these things 
happen, afterwards she became an unfortunate. My 
thoughts always go back to Susie Paetov, for I seem 
in just a like case.” 

They went on for a time, side by side, through 
Konig Street, bathed in moonlight. The moon, friend 
of thinkers, was exactly behind them, drawing her 
silver lines up round the roofs, hovering on the 
windows and surrounding them with the tender breath 
of her pale-green light. Only the eyes of the mirrors 
outside the windows reflected her brilliance, full and 
bright as green rocket-balls on a summter’s evening. 
The chimes of the parish church floated over the roofs, 
with their clear and delicate notes, and from some¬ 
where in a side street came the night-watchmian’s 
voice calling the hours. 

Kossling had been strangely upset by Jason’s words, 
expressing, as they did, so much that he himself felt 
but did not dare confess. It is true he had hopes 
enough to fill both hands, but here he was in the 



96 


HETTY GEYBERT 


thirties already and surely it was nearly time for 
some of them to ripen into fulfilment. 

“ Come with me, there is a public-house here by 
the Konig Bridge where we can get most excellent 
Stettin beer.” 

But Kossling declined. 

“ Or possibly Drucker’s is still open. I invite you 
to a bottle of Chambertin—Kossling, dearest Doctor, 
Schleiermacher’s Chambertin—the very best. A thaler, 
eight good groschen the bottle ! ” 

But Kossling was not to be persuaded. 

‘‘Well, whatever do you think then? I suppose 
I am to bury my melancholy by myself in a wineglass, 
just as we throw a kitten into the Spree? And if I 
manage to do it, to-morrow morning it will be back 
again, sitting like an old man of the mountain on 
the edge of my bed, swinging his legs and saying : 

1 Jason Geybert ’—that’s what he says—‘ how is this 
then? Now, what have you really done here? And 
what more do you intend to do, Jason Geybert? Now 
if—as the song says—the old reaper cuts down our 
friend Jason Geybert to-morrow perhaps, eh?’ And 
tthen the old man talks like' that, I am at a loss what 
:o answer. That is, I have a feeling I could give 
an answer if I had not forgotten the right words. 
And the old man is by no means bashful. He comes 
to me too, even when I am not alone, and I hear 
his voice, even when someone else closes my ears 
with his bare arms. For, Kossling, old man—it is 
born in us you see—I come of a gay stock, cannot 
fight against it, and my last journey will be to 
Mamsell . . 

Jason Geybert left his sentence unfinished. “ No, 
Kossling, we have got off the right lines ; we, not 
Adam and Eve, are those who have tasted of the 
tree of knowledge. You have no idea how confident 
and certain such as Uncle Eli or my sister-in-law 
Janey are in comparison with us—how they meet 
with no riddles and pass through life in golden self- 
satisfaction—free from all brooding mental activity. 


HETTY GEYBERT 9T 

They feel themselves useful members of human society. 
Now I have had a finger everywhere. I should 
think there is nothing I do not know of those things 
that might fill our life and give it greater joy. I 
have been a soldier. You know all the lies of inspira¬ 
tion, fatherland, freedom and a foreign yoke. ... I 
have been a merchant, have had dreams of riches 
and world-commerce and lost in them my money in 
Argentine. I have listened to Hegel on philosophy. 
Do you know what Jean Paul says about Hegel?, 
He calls him the dialectic vampire of the inner man. 
I have listened to Gervinus on history, studied Sanscrit 
under Bopp, and thought, by its means, to find my 
way to the cradle of humanity. Gans—he is ill, 
mortally ill—perhaps you heard ? Gans led me into 
the proud dwelling of law. I know my poets passably, 
even you must allow. . . . Yet, Kossling, it is nothing, 
all imperfect. There are endless limitations, things 
that keep their deepest meaning hidden from our, 
eyes. They are pseudo-truths, and it is but a fictitious 
happiness that they have to offer. And perhaps life’s 
true meaning lies in quite another direction—and 
perhaps Uncle Eli and my sister-in-law, Janey, have 
grasped it much, much better than we ! Are not 
Eli and Minnie like two old horses, dragging a cart 
which is too heavy for either of them to move alone? 
And isn’t Janey like a clucking hen with her children, 
if anyone interferes with them?” 

Kossling was not so well informed with regard to 
Eli and Minnie, but he was able, from personal 
experience, to confirm the statement concerning Aunt 
Janey. 

They were now standing, although quite unable to 
say how they had got there, by the Long Bridge, 
and the moon, now advancing, now retreating, cast 
her shining reflection upon the surface of the water 
from above, where she hung small in the cloudless 
heavens just over the strangely-silvered gable of the 
castle apothecary’s shop. The Elector on horseback, 
a terrifying phantom, towered above the strolling 

7 


98 


HETTY GEYBERT 


figures, and away in the bright, empty Castle Square 
the red flickering gas lamps flared quite unnecessarily. 
The gurgle of the rushing waters at the mill dam! was 
borne to their ears on the silence of the night ; the 
river lay before them in the green half-light, spanned 
by bridges as with trembling, fleeting dreams. 

“ Life is a river, Kossling, where we have to swim ; 
we must use arms and legs to keep above it, to feel 
it is carrying us onwards. But we use only our brains, 
and no one can swim with head only. That is why 
we are always on the point of sinkings and the only 
wonder is we can escape so long. And then that 
dream—that foolish dream that we may become some¬ 
thing, something out of the ordinary run, that we 
may influence or delight men, may win applause in the 
present and open an account for the future, thus giving 
others power over us instead of realising that every¬ 
thing lies only in our own hands. This foolish dream,, 
Kossling, which has made you starve and suffer want 
for years already instead of going to the crib which 
men have filled for you to overflowing with office, 
money and tides. Wolfenbiittel awaits you. You 
know it was once a refuge for one worth more than 
you and I together. Berlin is dangerous—too noisy— 
too exciting. If you want to hatch a butterfly, you 
must not handle the chrysalis every day, or it will 
come out maimed or perish entirely.” 

Kossling, who had already felt all along that this 
speech referred to him really as much as to Jason, 
was scarcely surprised at the turn it took, nor did he 
take it amiss from 1 the older man. The lateness of 
the hour, the silence of the encircling night, the wide, 
moonlit solitude of the re-echoing streets, all seemed 
to justify, almost indeed to demand, conversation of 
serious importance, a saying of those things that at 
other times are kept hidden in silence. 

No, Kossling said, that could wait for him— 
he was tough and would fight his way through. 
Privations did not frighten him ; he had always been 
happier out in the world than in Brunswick. 



HETTY GEYBERT 99 

“ No, Doctor, you misunderstand me. I do not 
mean outward privations—they can be borne—I mean 
the mental feeling of exclusion from! family, city, 
state. Have you ever grasped the inner meaning 
of the ‘ state ’ conception. I mean the severance, too, 
from quite simple human affairs, from the joys and 
sorrows with which these are interwoven. We always 
criticise ourselves, translate all our feelings into words, 
are our own spectators, and hence do not really live, 
but only dull our senses with life ; and we are not 
at rest, because our eyes are always straining for the 
new, which, after all, we do not grasp, and because we 
have no links to bind us to the old. We are like 
corn ground between the two millstones of yesterday 
and to-morrow. 

“ But perhaps all this does not apply to you ; I 
speak only of myself, for no one can judge of‘another’s 
experiences. My father, you know, knew how to 
combine both. He had, by nature, physical strength 
and mental refinement. He was in the midst of the 
ancien regime, in the society of his tirhe ; what was 
made in his workshop might have come from Paris. 
Everyone used to come to his house, officers and 
courtiers—he had his quartette evening—no new 
Goethe and no new Jean Paul that he did not read ! 
And I can still see him, in the evening, when we 
boys had bidden him good night, walking in proud 
dignity to his bedroom with a servant in front holding 
a thick volume of the Atheticeum in one hand and! 
a tall candle in a silver candlestick in the other. One 
of us still has a touch of the old man, the sarnie: mental! 
refinement, the same physical strength ; she is the 
most like him. Did you not see his picture on the 
wall to-day? Exactly the same mouth and the same 
long, straight nose with its broad bridge. But they 
are dragging the girl down. You would not believe 
what a fight it is, a silent contest, without bloodshed 
indeed, but none the less a mortal contest. And 
the others gain the victory. It is just such a tug 
of war as we used to have with Father John, between 


100 HETTY GEYBERT 

the Geyberts and the Jacobys, and they have already 
captured my brothers.” 

When Jason spoke of Hetty, Kossling straightway 
forgot all that might concern him in the matter, and 
had but the one desire to hear about Hetty. 

They were both standing by the stone embrasure 
of the Konig Bridge, at the entrance of the colonnade, 
that stood with its silvered arches clear cut against 
the depth of the evening sky. Single twinkling stars 
peeped through the network of the leafless branches^ 
and the trees themselves whispered as if talking in 
their sleep. That keen, aromatic scent, a little sharp, 
like mingled resin and wine, the scent of the sap 
rising in the elms and poplars, was wafted on a light 
breeze to the two, now standing silent, apparently 
wondering why this narrow watercourse should be 
so utterly lost in the dark confusion of houses. 

On the other side of the bridge a young couple, 
an artisan with his sweetheart, were walking along in 
the warm moonlight without a word, but keeping, 
step ; they had taken hands like children, and swing¬ 
ing their arms they walked along side by side in 
speechless happiness. And the two friends turned 
and stared after them as if under some spell, each 
quite entangled, struggling and flapping—like a fish- 
in the net of his own thoughts and feelings. 

Then came a succession of fine days, an un¬ 
broken chain like sisters holding each other by the 
hand ; beautiful tall maidens with smiling lips, and 
sunlight on their fair hair. It was impossible to, 
say who was the most charming, to which of the sisters 
the prize must fall. This one seemed older, more 
mature, richer, more generous, and this again was 
so young and fresh, so full of teasing fun with her 
gay laugh that one was tempted to race and romp with 
her. This one only smiled, and all her movements 
were gentle and subdued like the silver air filled 1 
with spring yearning, and this one again adorned 
herself at evening-time with a spray of wild rose 
which she wound round her hair. No, it was 


HETTY GEYBERT 101 

really impossible to give the palm to any one of 
the sisters. 

And things came as come they must; the same 
marvels, as in all the years before, happened in the 
same order. The lilac buds opened and unfolded 
green leaves, still quite light in colour and limp, 
like children weary from growing, and down on the 
bank of the Konig dyke there was a stretch of violets 
whose humble green leaves were hidden by the purple 
flowers. And whoever crossed the bridge sniffed the 
scent and said very thoughtfully : “ There must be 

violets over in that garden.” The poplars cast down 
their swaying brown catkins to stick on every bush 
and to splash into the water and be carried away 
on its bosom or to curl up like brown, shaggy 
caterpillars on the wayside or over the paths. The 
brown elm-blossoms turned into little balls of green 
fruit, which covered the branches with their cushions 
till they looked like branches of pale-green coral ; 
and here and there on some trellis fluttered pink 
peach-blossoms, and a solitary spray of some white 
bloom stretched its glistening arm above a high yellow 
wall. The twilight grew so bold that for many hours 
she strove with night as to which should hold sway 
over the dreaming world. And people sat on stone 
benches outside their doors and looked on at the 
struggle. But in the little pink clouds, shining in 
the sky and touching everything with their own bright 
sheen, the twilight had valiant allies who every 
evening stood firm until the very last glimmer of 
light had faded away. 

One fine day, however, the buds of the limes had 
slipped off their brown coverings too, and pale-green 
leaves, transparent as if cut out of silk, stretched 
themselves in the sun in youthful brightness. Not 
that all came out together, for whilst in the long, 
rows of trees some were holding spring festival, others 
stood stiff and unmoved as if no warning voice had 
come to them and they waited for three calls and a 
night of warm rain before they deigned at last to 


102 


HETTY GEYBERT 


awake from their sleep. But then it was an unbroken 
chain of green boughs down the “ Linden,” on through 
the city gate, along the Charlottenburg high road, 
past the little toll-house, far, far on to Lietzov, right 
to the Royal Park, almost up to the golden figure on 
the castle roof—one unbroken chain of light-green 
tree-tops. And far, far earlier than anyone expected 
came a few really warm days that quickly unfolded 
every bud and brought out blossom on hawthorn, 
lilac and laburnum—days that soon did away with 
the glory of the great sheets of silver-white anemones 
covering the grass in the Royal Park and in the 
Zoological Gardens on either side of the road, peeping 
up even under the bushes as well—for the white 
petals quickly and all too soon dropped and fluttered 
away, whilst the delicate feathery leaves were buried 
under the rampant growth of charlock and cranesbill. 

And things came as comle they must. 

On the next day Ferdinand had a slight attack of 
gall-stones. It really began the same night, perhaps 
partly caused by his annoyance at losing the game, 
and for forty-eight hours there he lay, to quote Jason, 
‘‘like a log on the flooding water.” But that did 
not prevent his being in a few days just as he was 
before in every respect. 

Solomon then drove to Karlsbad with the landau, 
which had first to be hastily varnished for the purpose, 
and he found as travelling companion a diabetic 
member of the Financial Board, so that it was really 
cheaper to go in his own carriage than in a public 
coach from Nagler’s stables ; Ferdinand himself went 
with him as far as the New Market and told John 
he must give special care to his driving. 

And Aunt Rika really rented in Charlottenburg, in 
Frau Konnecke’s house at the corner of the Rosinen 
and Berlin Streets, three rooms and a kitchen with the 
use of part of the flower garden in front and of a 
summer-house in the large, park-like garden at the 
back. 

Jason went, later on, every day for a few hours to 


HETTY GEYBERT 


108 


Solomon’s business and hindered accountants, clerks 
and foremen, down to the very porter himself, in their 
work. They looked upon him as a kind of harmless 
lunatic, whose inferiority could only be compensated 
for by his generosity in the matter of drinks of every 
kind. He and one clerk, who had only been working 
fifteen years for Solomon Geybert & Co., were the 
chickens who neither knew nor understood anything 
of the business. 

Uncle Eli was very busy, for every day between 
twelve and one he went to the coach office to see 
wliat horses and coaches came in and went out. And 
Aunt Minnie’s days, too, were equally full, for she 
had to put matters right again with Minna. It was 
true, as everyone agreed, that it had been very wrong 
of Minna to stand half-naked in the kitchen to wash 
herself, yet Aunt Minnie could not tell at all what 
vices Minna’s successor might develop ; and, after all, 
Minna was faithful, honest, hard-working—virtues 
(servants being what they are nowadays) that marked 
her out as one in a thousand. Of course, in Aunt 
Minnie’s younger days you could have staked your 
reputation on every servant-girl ! 

The Swede took a favourable opportunity to return 
to Gothenburg, and in due course five great ca^es 
stamped S.G. Co., 113-117, followed him there. 

The old lady with her tight curls continued to 
divide her time between her love of children and 
knitting stockings, and the report of the King’s illness 
remained unconfirmed. His health continuing the 
same, coloured silk waistcoats and ties were worn 
as much after as before. 

Aunt Janey decided in favour of Schoneberg because 
the air was said to be better there than in 
Charlottenburg, and because the children could go to 
Wilmersdorf to drink ewes’ milk—there was nothing 
more nourishing than ewes’ milk ! That these 
advantages were enhanced by the fact that Schoneberg 
was cheap, Janey did not mention. If she could have 
paid the cost of Charlottenburg like her rich sister 


104 HETTY GEYBERT 

Rika, she would have told everyone that she could 
not understand how anyone could go to Schoneberg 
for a summer change. But as things were, the air 
was better in Schoneberg, and not so close and 
oppressive as in Charlottenburg. 

Wolfgang’s relations to his surroundings and to all 
foreign languages were still marked by continual strain. 

Max read every evening with undiminished pleasure 
his translation of Child Harold that was better than 
Freiligrath’s and Jenny enjoyed the ways of Providence 
to the full, so everything was really in the best of 
order, not diverging one hair’s breadth from the safe, 
well-trodden path of quiet routine. 

Or nearly everything—if Chance had not played 
a remarkable trick. 

It is said that Chance is blind, and even the ancients 
gave the goddess of Chance a bandage round her 
eyes. Well, this Chance peeped out a little from 
under the bandage, peeped like a lover at blind man’s 
buff, who assures himself and others that he cannot 
see a glimmer and yet in absolute secrecy is intent on 
catching the right one, that afterwards he may tell 
the company some fable of the secret affinity of souls 
which has led him, in spite of bandaged eyes, to the 
right quarter. 

This peeping Chance now decreed that, on the 
following Thursday afternoon at a quarter-past five, 
under the clear light of a pale-blue spring sky, Hetty 
and Kossling should meet in Konig Street. It 
was remarkable how often Kossling had passed up 
Konig Street in the few days previous to this. He 
almost lived in Konig Street and looked upon 
Spandau Street as quite a side issue. He gave him¬ 
self pretexts of every possible kind to necessitate his 
going straight up Konig Street ; every day he brought 
books to the library and every day he fetched more 
an operation which could easily have been performed 
m one journey. He went, by no means slowly, along 
Konig Street not giving the impression that he was 
expecting something, but hurrying along, very busy and 


HETTY GEYBERT 105 

lost in thought—and, as he thought, without looking 
either to right or left. 

Kossling had in his journeys frequently met old 
Uncle Eli and even accosted him. But as ill-luck' 
would have it, each time a mail-coach or some other 
proud vehicle had driven past and then everything 
else lost all life and interest for Uncle Eli. Even ii 
Vizier Abd-el-Kader, in his own august person, had 
greeted him then, Uncle Eli would only have intimated 
by a. silent nod that he did not wish to be disturbed, 
possibly not have condescended so far as that even. 
Therefore it was utterly impossible for Kossling to 
get out of him any news of Hetty. 

Jason Geybert, too, had not crossed his path these 
days, nor was he to be found at Steheli’s either. The 
waiter said he had not been there for days. For it 
was, you must know, a peculiarity of Jason’s to dis¬ 
appear utterly from everyone’s sight for days, if not 
for a week, even from his family ; indeed, it was at 
such times quite impossible to hunt him up in his own 
home. What he did then, where he trod along the 
paths of happiness, Jason never even hinted. He just 
appeared again in the circle of his friends and relatives 
as if he had never forsaken them, and they took 
good care not to ask where he had been hiding. 

Thus, instead of others who might have told him 
news of her, Hetty herself came straight towards 
Kossling on the same side of the road. He did not 
even need to cross the street, which he would not 
have cared to do. Kossling saw her coming far off 
beyond two turnings, recognising her walk and bearing 
long before he could distinguish her features, for she 
bore herself like no one else. On her arm she had 
a little basket, so was evidently shopping. Kossling 
hastened to cross the turning to Klbster Street, so 
that Hetty might not disappear down this side street 
and compel him 1 to follow her, which would deprive 
their meeting of the charm' of pure accident. 

Now Hetty stood in front of him, offering her hand 
with a sunny smile ; she was wearing openwork silk 



106 


HETTY GEYBERT 


mittens that left her white fingers uncovered. Her 
eyes., her lips, every feature smiled under the lace- 
edged brim of her shady hat until Kossling was over¬ 
come with mingled embarrassment and pleasure. “ Like 
a princess ! like a princess 1 ” he said to himself. For 
Hetty, in her simple white gown with its golden Greek 
pattern border and its golden straps over her shapely 
white shoulders, looked even taller and more dignified 
than before. No wonder that Kossling would gladly 
have spread his cloak before her that her foot might 
not touch the dusty highway. 

“ I am glad to meet you, Doctor, so that I may 
get one more glimpse of you.” 

“ Why ‘one more,’ Fraulein Hetty?” 

” Because we are going to Charlottenburg to-morrow 
or the day after. I am looking forward to it already, 
for it is so charming and we have such a beautiful 
garden out there. My uncle went off to Karlsbad 
this morning, so I, at least, will not be coming in to 
Berlin soon again. Aunt, of course, cannot exist a 
week without Berlin, but anyone born here—as I was 
—is glad not to see it for a time, although I ajm 
glad, too, as soon as I get back to it once more. 

I would not like to live anywhere but in Berlin, 
certainly not in any small town.” 

She was going away and he would not see her for 
a long time perhaps—this was his first and only feeling, 
so overpowering that he almost forgot to ask her 
how she had felt after the evening gathering, what 
she had been doing, whether she had heard anything 
of her Uncle Jason, whom the earth seemed to have 
swallowed as it did Mademoiselle Prosepine of old, 
whilst he—Kossling—like a modem Madame Demeter’ 
hastened down Konig Street singing songs of 
mourning in the light of Luna’s silver rays. 

Hetty shrugged her shoulders. 

" No, I know nothing about him. He has become 
quite invisible, but I hope he will not continue his 
subterranean life for six months. To-morrow or the 
day after he will come out of hiding and be just 


HETTY GEYBERT 107 

as usual in his old surroundings. I want some books 
from him, too. In summer he always gives me those 
that need leisure and in winter those that ought to 
be read quickly.” 

‘‘And how have you been yourself?” Kossling, 
asked quite shyly, and his voice trembled with such 
tenderness that every word was well-nigh a caress. 

Hetty s sidelong glance betrayed some astonishment. 
“ Oh, quite well, thank you, nothing has happened.” 

Hetty did not mention that she had had some 
bad times and no lack of sharp speeches from' her 
aunt’s lips. Aunt Rika had run round, too, for a 
couple of days burning aromatic powder and swinging 
its fumes like incense on all sides as she poured forth 
abuse on men who had been so badly brought up 
that they dared to smoke in respectable people’s best 
parlour. 

“ Nothing at all, Fraulein Hetty? ” 

What should happen ? Whatever happens in my 
life, then ? Every day, you see, the housekeeping 
comes to attack me like some monster with gaping 
jaws. For the season has to be taken into account, 
and the fact that Uncle must not eat everything, so 
tha L t I have to consider very carefully what is needed 
in the house. Then sometimes the dressmaker comes 
and Uncle brings up a few patterns from the business 
for us to make our choice. Then just now I have 
a few pieces of needlework on hand, for there will soon 
be birthdays. I am miaking a beadwork bell-pull 
for Aunt Minnie, as her old one is so shabby that 
she always says she is ashamed of it, and braiding a 
handbag for Aunt Janey as well. Then it will be 
Uncle’s turn, although, to be sure, I have made himj 
everything possible already. And now I must pack 
all my things for Charlottenburg. There is absolutely 
never any time for leisure. For days I have not 
had a book in my hand. Oh, but I forgot. On 
Sunday I went to hear Judas Maccabaus in the 
Academy of Singing. Zelter made a wonderful con¬ 
ductor ; how he keeps his choir together.’* 


108 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ Yes, to be sure, it is a joy to see Zelter, a real 
musician. Not, indeed, a genius, but giving genius 
and power a fitting interpretation, and we need such 
a man in Berlin. 

They were standing at the corner of Kloster and 
Konig Streets and Hetty seemed in doubt as to which 
direction to follow. “Where does your way lie?” 
Kossling inquired. 

“ Down here. I want to go to the butcher’s 
stall in the New Market and get something for 
supper.” 

“May I help you with your purchases?”' 

Hetty hesitated. “ Oh yes, come, of course. Or 
shouldn’t we rather—oh no, come along here with 
me. Doctor.” 

“ If you would rather not go down here, Frauleirt 
Hetty, many roads lead to the New Market, just as 
many as to Rome ; and, to tell the truth, I would 
choose those going through Potsdam so long as I may 
walk in your company.” 

Hetty laughed. “ I haven’t time to-day to choose 
the way round Potsdam, so come along.” 

“ May I carry the basket? ” 

“ Not now—later.” 

Pletty had her own reasons for saying “ later ” and 
for insisting on this “ later,” although Kossling care¬ 
fully pointed out to her the close connection between) 
a basket and a fish-net. 

Hetty was quite right in her suppositions. For 
up there sat—to take the air she said—up there already 
sat Aunt Janey on the stone bench beside her door. 
With her feet on a worked footstool, Aunt Janey 
squatted on the little low seat like a bulldog in front 
of a butcher’s shop, in silent attention, scanning the 
passers-by with glances of venomous malice on this 
beautiful spring afternoon. Something in this best 
of all worlds had evidently annoyed her ; her husband 
or Wolfgang or her sister having more money and yet 
in spite of that no children—something had annoyed 
her. There came Hetty, with a gentleman too ; and 


HETTY GEYBERT 109 

the black jet buttons that served Aunt Janey as eyes 
grew to twice their usual size. 

What was the meaning of this ? Her niece, Hetty, 
walking along with a man in broad daylight like some 
common servant-girl ! Of course—almost before 
Solomon’s back was turned. But she had expected 
it of her. 

Hetty nodded from the other side of the road and 
Kossling lifted his hat in some confusion. No doubt, 
then, this was another reason why the road round 
Potsdam would have suited him' better. 

“ Hetty 1 Well, Solomon went off this morning,” 
Aunt Janey shouted across the street, and as Hetty had 
no desire to carry on the conversation through a 
speaking-trumpet, she crossed the causeway, carefully 
picking her steps from stone to stone, Kossling follow¬ 
ing her at a respectful distance, and wishing Aunt 
Janey and all her crew at Jericho. He murmuredy 
too, something about “ the most beautiful of hours, ”■ 
and “ that pedantic sneak,” which certainly did not 
seem quite applicable to Aunt Janey. As he greeted 
her aunt he said he had just met Fraulein Hetty. 

But he could say what he might ; no Demosthenes 
nor Cicero could have made good his case. That 
he saw in a single glance of the aunt’s as she 
overflowed with amiability, like a waterpot under the 
city fountain, and was never ending in her compliments 
on his divine playing, having apparently quite forgotten 
their passage-at-arms the other evening. 

Hetty said she was glad to see her aunt, so that 
she would not need to come again to say good-bye. 
She was in luck’s way to-day, for she had just met 
the Doctor as well. 

At this point Janey could not refrain from a tart 
remark about Hetty’s luck, a remark that prompted 
Hetty not to prolong the conversation, but to take 
her leave, since she still had a great deal to do, and 
really, really had not a minute to spare, sorry as 
she was to go. 

So Hetty and Kossling went, whilst Janey looked 


110 


HETTY GEYBERT 


after them, immovable and silent. Never had she 
known such a thing ! And as soon as the two had 
disappeared round a turn in the road, Aunt Janey 
got up, tucked the footstool under her arm and went 
to look for her husband in the varnishing shed and 
in the stables, to give him the tale in all its freshness 
and adorned with many picturesque touches. Nor 
was she a little annoyed to hear that Herr Geybert 
had said he would be away on important business 
until evening ; but what that business was no one 
could tell her. 

That Ferdinand Geybert was unfortunately detained 
by business just that afternoon, so that Aunt Janey 
was left for some tirfie alone with her secret, was no 
advantage to Kossling and Hetty. For whatever might 
be said against Aunt Janey, no one could accuse her 
of being a classic witness. No, indeed, for every 
occurrence changed in proportion to the square of 
its distance in time, so that although she might 
immediately after have told what had happened with 
some approximation to truth, there was no doubt that 
five minutes later she would say the two had come 
up to her arm-in-arm and that, in twice this interval, 
this would grow into kisses and protestations of love 
on both sides. In another five minutes Aunt Janey 
even believed it herself, and would swear to its truth 
by all that was holy. So when she came to her sister 
Rika’s she had reached the stage of believing half 
the tale she was going to tell her. For between hier 
first resolve and its final accomplishment there had 
elapsed almost, but not quite, a quarter of an hour. 

“ Now, Doctor,” Hetty said, resuming their former 
conversation, “ now you know how I have spent my 
days. May I hear what you have done, and how you 
have got a good step nearer to the fulfilment of your 
hopes and wishes? For you surely have hopes and 
wishes? One day doesn’t run into another with you 
as it does with us women. Now tell me ! What are 
you working at? What do you do? How do you 
spend your time? Do you do braidwork, too, "for 



HETTY GEYBERT 111 

your worthy aunts? Did you go straight home the 
other evening?” 

“ No, not straight. Your uncle and I took a long 
walk through the streets. It was a lovely warm 
evening, and bright moonlight as well. I really don’t 
know when we parted, and we had a long talk on 
all kinds of serious and weighty subjects, such as 
are not discussed every day of the week.” 

‘‘ Things that I might hear too? 

‘‘Yes and no, Fraulein Hetty. But I really believe 
and hope that they are beyond your comprehension. 
You see, we spoke of our peculiar attitude to society, 
to the state, to our family, of our want of sympathy 
in all that interests the others. We spoke of our 
inability to swim with the stream, and agreed that— 
as things are—it is, here below, better, cleaner and 
simpler to be a ticket-collector than the sovereign 
himself, seated on Parnassus, or even his legal heir 
—to say nothing of all the princes in collateral 
lines who will never come to the throne, such as 
we are. 

“ I perhaps would have talked of other things just 
then filling my heart, of more beautiful and better 
things ; of such, Fraulein Hetty, as are also pleasanter 
to hear ; for, that evening, I was by no means in 
the mood for serious thoughts. They would indeed 
have been but a poor requital for all the kindness 
you had shown me. But it just chanced to be one 
of your uncle’s serious days, and, for the first time, 
I saw that he was, at bottom, just like the rest of 
us, a distracted man. Strangely enough, I had till 
then always envied him because he had no money 
troubles, because he was older, wiser than I, and 
because he could lay claim to a good share of know¬ 
ledge and refined taste ; above all, because he found 
life easy, because, as I thought, he thoroughly enjoyed 
life’s banquet. He really ought not to have said 
all he did, for he took from me, not affection—for, 
such talks weave a hidden band of union—but the 
halo I had seen around his head. Yet perhaps I 


112 HETTY GEYBERT 


do wrong to tell you, although I do not think I 
should ever breathe a word of our discussions at 
night to a single other living creature ; but, now, 
deliver up the basket, for whom else could we possibly 
come across ? ” 

After lengthy argument Hetty gave him the basket, 
and Kossling all but kissed the hand that proffered it. 

“ But you will surely tell me, too, what else you 
have been doing ? Yes, what you are working at, 
what your aims and hopes are, or mustn’t we hear 
about them ? ’* 


“Why do you ask, Fraulein Hetty? I rejoice to 
have met you, and thank providence for its good¬ 
ness when you turn what would be a Sunday treat 
into an everyday event.’* 


Oh, come, not quite so . . .” Hetty interposed. 

“ Oh, why talk about such things ? Let us talk 
of something nice—of you—of your pretty new gown 
of Frau Konnecke—of the castle at Charlottenburg 
—of little children—of Wolfgang and Jenny—I like 
the lad—but why of me, Fraulein Hetty? What can 
there be to say about me ? I do what we authors 
all do to earn a living. I do two kinds of writing, 
I write my criticisms, my music reviews and my tales. 
I also work at biography, and have, too, a few literary 
hobbies to ride. There is enough to do, and besides, 
sometimes—but not often—I write for my own delight' 
write what I will, what is part of my own soul' 
I do not even try to finish these things, they are 
entirely for me alone. But it does not often happen 
for our work is badly paid, and we cannot, like 
ivaurmann, earn a hundred thalers with a stroke of 
the pen, with one piece of work. I only get groschen 
by groschen, and a gold coin is a yellow round 
something that must be made to last such and such 
a time But just because my own work is forbidden 
fruit, the result of my efforts is more mysterious 
stronger, more intense, perhaps fuller of imagination 

^. aulei » Hetty * Indeed > 1 d0 not really want any¬ 
thing different—I am quite content as things are ; 


HETTY GEYBERT 


113 


for the very fact that I have little spare time saves 
me from depression or a sense of emptiness that 
would drive me to a constant rush in search of new 
experiences. 

“ I want nothing else. Don’t you think I might get 
some editing here?—then I should have a post, an 
income, and could, more or less, lie fallow. Or 
perhaps I could go to Brunswick as teacher or 
librarian? You see, if that was my goal, if I really 
aimed seriously at these things, I would soon make 
my way, and find plenty of open doors. But I 
attach no value to them, think them unnecessary. In 
my opinion, our duty to ourselves is more binding. 
What happier am I really to earn thirty thalers more 
a month and to pride myself upon being a worthy 
member of the state? As things are, I manage. So 
far I have always paid for my room and food and 
almost had enough for my tailor as well.” All this 
Kossling uttered in slow, jerky sentences, punctuated 
with embarrassed pauses. 

“ You are a remarkable man. I should think it 
needs some courage to be willing to live like that.” 

“ Perhaps—yes—certainly ! for nothing offers any 
prospect nowadays. We cannot help it. We are 
no worse than those before us ; but look at our 
writers, not one of them will achieve anything ; perhaps 
one may have prospects for the future, and he has 
to live in Paris because Germany has no place for 
him. 

“ But in fifty years’ time who will know anything 
about Gutzkow or read Laube, Mundt, Halm or Count 
Piickler? Not a soul—or, at very most, a few critical 
bookworms. As a matter of fact, nothing ought 
to be written to-day. We ought first to live, just 
live. No Goethe will come from our ranks, no grace¬ 
ful Wieland, no simple, virginal Novalis. We are 
too distracted, too restless. We have fallen between 
two stools—have lost the old and not yet grasped 
the new. There is only the future for us, and it 
will owe us nothing.” 


8 


114 HETTY GEYBERT 

44 Do you work, then, for political papers. Doctor? ” 
inquired Hetty, with a dim feeling that she must 
guide Kossling into safe waters. 

“ Political papers? There are none, Fraulein Hetty. 
You must, as Herr Jason Geybert’s niece, you really 
must know* that. Is there any political science at all 
now ? I suppose you give that name to the foolish 
wavering this way and the other, this secret action, 
this everlasting creeping in a circle like a cat round 
a plate of hot soup. Let any man to-day speak out 
what he really thinks and to-morrow he will dine in 
the lock-up. The next thing will be the suppression 
of all publications except the state newspaper. You 
see, all our best men who might help us are exiled 
from the country. Borne, enthusiast that he was, 
had to die abroad and in harness. To be a political 
writer here in Berlin is—as things now are—to be a 
rope-dancer, a fire-eater, a suicide. And what use 
to give one’s life for a thing one does not after all 
believe in? For, however brutal it may sound, my 
own well-being, my spiritual well-being, is of more 
account to me than that of the common herd. I 
believe I should feel just as happy and just as un¬ 
happy in a constitutional state like England as I 
do here. 

“ And yet perhaps there is something in it. The 
freedom of movement influences us perhaps, and v^e 
become changed. The German, I tell you, is never 
himself ; first he is scholar, then student, then official, 
accountant, lawyer, professor, footman, clerk—every¬ 
thing he is, but never himself. Not one of us gets 
beyond the limitations of his office, and therefore 
it is better not to have one at all. You think that is 
criminal, that one must think of the future. Fraulein 
Hetty, Heaven only knows where we shall be then. 

I have accustomed myself not to look more than a 
week ahead. I mean only to live for the day, and 
that gives me quite enough. For example, to-day 
has brought me you.” 

Hetty looked at him almost gratefully, for she liked 


HETTY GEYBERT 115 

to know that she had given him pleasure, innocent 
pleasure, simply by her presence. 

“ Dear Doctor, I understand all that, yet it is 
all so new and strange to me. You see—amongst 
us it is quite different. Amongst us no one breaks 
away from his family ”—she flushed with excitement— 
“no one can do as he likes. Everyone is pushed 
and poked by all for good as well as ill. Take, for 
example, Uncle Jason. If Uncle Jason, with his gifts, 
has not achieved anything in life, it is the fault of 
his father, his brothers, his Uncle Eli, their wives— 
yes, of them all, every one. But that Uncle Jason, 
nevertheless, has kept on the top, that he has never 
gone under, is just as much their work too. I do 
not know how to explain it to you. The family to¬ 
day would certainly find Uncle Jason fifty thousand 
thalers to pay gambling debts, and yet they would 
not find him two and a half silver groschen if he 
wanted to buy a book. And it is the same with me.” 

Hetty bit her lips, as if she had said too much, 
and stopped talking. 

“ Well, now we really will talk of something else ; 
tell me about Charlottenburg. I should like to drive 
over again to the Royal Park. How beautiful that 
must be now with its old trees and the pond of carp 
who know so well when spring comes. Have you 
been in the castle? It is pretty, isn’t it? Its whole 
plan, the lofty cupola with the golden railing and the 
golden figure at the top?” 

“ Yes, when she hears twelve strike, she turns round 
. . . but only when she hears it, Doctor.’’ 

“ Did you see the many Chinese porcelain vases, 
the china plates, cups, the little Turkish bowls, the 
tiny figures and grinning monstrosities? But a woman 
has quicker eyes for such things than we have. Do 
you remember the rooms with the high, oak wainscoting 
and the vaulted white ceilings like a winter sky ? 
Whenever I went I used to dream of living there one 
day, but the custodian told me it was not to be let 
as a summer residence. The little friendship’s temple. 



116 


HETTY GEYBERT 


the officials’ wing at the back, between the yew trees, 
would have pleased me, too, just as well ; there by 
the water, in the round, yellow building, the little 
pleasure-house, you know. 

But whilst in the castle itself everyone would 
disturb me, whilst there I must really be alone, nothing 
in the world would induce me to live by myself in 
the little house ; there someone must be with me 
to help me bear my loneliness, someone dear with 
whom I could talk, sing, play and walk day and 
night ; if I could get that, I would ask for nothing 
else in the world, and would live there all the winter 
too, never wishing for any other home. But that is 
not to let either, the custodian told me. Moreover, 
I have not so far found anyone who would share 
the house with me.” 

Hetty’s laugh was a little embarrassed. “ Well, 
the first and most important thing is to get them to 
let you rent the little temple, and to see that it is 
not too dear for you—for in Charlottenburg they really 
scarcely know what they may not ask for the few 
summer months. The other matter could be settled 
later, and I am sure you would find no difficulty in 
that.” 

“ No, I think the other matter must be settled 
first, for I should die after an hour’s loneliness in 
that delightful solitude. But we won’t quarrel over 
a mere fancy.” 

Meantime they had reached the Marien Square. 
Up there the butchers’ stalls, a group of little 
wooden booths clustering against the church wall, 
were surrounded by a crowd of women and servant- 
girls, a noisy stream hurrying along in the shade 
from stall to stall, whilst the church tower, stand¬ 
ing unmoved in eternal silence above this petty 
bustle, pointed to the pale blue spring sky and leant 
its sunlit spire against a solitary white cloud. 

‘‘I am going to buy up there. But, now, give me 
the basket. I might come across acquaintances, and 
they would wonder why my servant was not in livery.’’ 


HETTY GEYBERT 


117 


Kossling handed her the basket ; they crossed the 
street, mingled in the crowd, and were carried along 
with it from stall to stall. Sturdy white forms with 
fleshy, bare, muscular arms occupied most of the 
available space in the cramped booths, where they 
only had just room enough to move their arms, take 
half a calf from the hook, lift it over their heads 
and bring it down with a heavy crash on the bench. 
There was space for nothing else, for from the hooks 
along the walls hung rows of gory oxen quarters, 
whole calves without their heads ; sheep and wethers 
hung there too, blood slowly dripping from their 
gashed throats, and whole mountains of creatures’ heads 
were piled up until they almost touched the brown 
and red sausages dangling from the low roof. 

It was indeed a wild orgy in crimson that extended 
to the very depths of the dark booths, accompanied 
by the unceasing clang and crash on the chopping- 
blocks of the axes wielded by brawny arms with such 
force that it seemed as though the blade must be 
deeply embedded in the wood or the brass bands 
encircling the block must burst asunder. 

The brass scales flashed up and down ; on one 
side someone was weighing a calf’s hindquarter on 
a Bessemer balance, holding it out at arm’s length ; 
on the other someone else was looking for calves’ 
liver under a mountain of other meat—and then the 
uproar—the uproar, the confusion of women’s voices— 
and the dust from numberless shoes and coats. 

Hetty knew quite well where she meant to buy ; 
one had no good meat, another was too dear, one 
was too disobliging, another gave light weight, and 
at last she found her man, got her piece of meat 
for a few groschen, as well as a fine marrow bone 
that the polite butcher popped into her basket as 
make-weight ! 

“ There now, my shopping is done. When Uncle 
is away, we are very economical.” 

They turned their backs to the crowd and struggled 
for a time against the stream, to the annoyance of 


118 


HETTY GEYBERT 


those coming in the opposite direction, and almost 
stumbled over the street urchins who, in their eager¬ 
ness to snatch at any scraps, crept about in all direc¬ 
tions between the purchasers’ feet. They were glad 
when at last they had escaped from the smell of 
blood, the clatter of scales and weights, the clink of 
money, the noise of barter ; the jokes and jests 
pouring out from the stalls, and stood in the open 
square, where all the hubbub became but a distant 
murmur. 

Kossling turned round once again. “ And even 
that is beautiful because it is true. Look, Fraulein 
Hetty, look at the stalls huddling together by the 
wall like fungus shooting up in autumn round an 
old tree-trunk. Fraulein, you may laugh, but it really 
is beautiful, not only amusing, as Glasbrenner says— 
it is actually beautiful as well, because it is life, 
hot, pulsating life.” 

“ Possibly—but I have never thought about it, I 
have always been so busy thinking where I could get 
the best meat.” 

Kossling felt annoyed that something over which 
he had often thought, thought long and deeply, some¬ 
thing which seemed to him a question of vital im¬ 
portance, should be dismissed by Hetty with a single 
word, for how was he to know that Hetty’s “ possibly ” 
was but the forerunner of a whole chain of thoughts 
and meditations. 

They were soon entangled once more in the narrow 
network of streets in the old town, where the small, 
uneven footpaths in front of the houses scarcely 
allowed the two to walk side by side. Not only that, 
but the woodcutters standing in the gutter sawing up 
wood, and then chopping the sawn pieces on great 
blocks, often enough forced Kossling to follow Hetty 
like some distant satellite. 

The citizens were sitting with their wives and children 
outside their doors, looking from the dark, narrow 
little streets up away over the roofs to the white 
brilliance of the spring sky. Every doorway seemed 


HETTY GEYBERT 119 

to emit its own special scent—here fresh*/ tanned 
leather, there bales of calico, on one side the aroma 
of coffee and nutmeg, on the other of horses and 
cowstalls. And many of the* people, enjoying a 
leisure hour, accosted Hetty, and looked after her and 
her companion as at some strange apparition. 

The milkman even got up from his little bench 
with a deep and respectful bow and raised his sonorous 
voice to wish Mademoiselle Hetty—as was an excellent 
customer’s due—a good evening. 

That his courtesy compelled Hetty to leave the 
narrow strip of footpath and take refuge with her 
fine patent leather shoes in the very midst of the 
gutter’s unspeakable depths never occurred to him. 

Kossling was anxious to resume their former con¬ 
versation, for it had been impossible to carry on any 
connected talk whilst he had to drop behind, or while 
they stumbled along together, now stepping on one 
side, now stopping to give place to other pedestrians, 
and he was just beginning when Hetty’s name was 
called, and she stopped before a ground-floor window 
well within her vision. There sat Aunt Minnie in a 
silver-grey dressing-gown, perched in a high chair 
close to the window, looking out into the world with 
her wrinkled face and kind, good-natured eyes. 
Beside her stood a high basket filled with household 
linen, and she was in the act of mending something 
large lying on her lap. Nor did her needle ever 
stop, however much she talked or looked at her 
neighbours. # . 

At the other window, also on a high chair in 
exactly the same position, Uncle Eli, dressed in the 
long blue frock-coat he wore on his walks abroad, 
was sitting bolt upright, horn spectacles on his nose, 
reading the Observer by the Spree , that he held at 
arm’s length—and when he read, he was dead to the 
world, hearing and seeing nothing. Consequently, he 
showed not a spark of interest as to whether Hetty, 
Kossling or anyone else was coming. 

“ Good afternoon. Aunt ! ” Hetty exclaimed as she 


120 HETTY GEYBERT 

stood exactly in front of the open window, whilst 
Kossling kept a little to one side. 

“Oh, Hetty, what are you doing? Come in for a 
moment ! Have you any news ? When are you going 
to Charlottenburg ? ” 

No, Hetty had no news, only that they meant to 
go to Charlottenburg the very next day. 

Oh, do come in, Hetty. The Doctor will come 
too. He promised us, in any case, to do us the 
honour.” 

Kossling hesitated, but Hetty told him he need have 
no scruples about going in. 

It was an old house where Uncle Eli and Aunt 
Minnie lived, with no broad porch like Uncle Solomon’s 
or Uncle Ferdinand’s, but, as the only entrance, a 
little oak door nicely carved in many curious and 
elaborate patterns, with a bright flap of pierced metal 
over the keyhole and a shining brass handle. The 
fanlight over the door was divided into a symmetrical 
pattern of tiny panes ; to right and left of the door¬ 
way two grey curtains hung down from the urn sur¬ 
mounting it, curtains made of plaster, with fluttering 
ends and many deep pleats. 

Hetty opened the door and led the way in, with 
Kossling following her in timid embarrassment. 

It was a narrow, half-dark passage into which they 
stepped, and at the very end a steep staircase led 
almost perpendicularly to the next floor. 

However do the old people manage to get up and 
down, Kossling wondered. But then Hetty had pushed 
open a door and they went in. 

The room was bright with white walls, and in the 
centre stood a table on curved feet with bronze mounts, 
and the whole top was completely covered with an 
inlaid floral design. Two tallboys with large keys 
were also adorned on every drawer with whole bunches 
of flowers in coloured woods. And round the wall 
were others covered with all kinds of china figures 
big and little—hunting scenes, shepherdesses, a^lady 
m a farthingale nursing a lapdog, a passionate love 


HETTY GEYBERT 121 

scene and Hector taking farewell of his family ; bright 
birds and little vases painted in terra-cotta in striking 
and wild confusion. And then a china cow, a big 
speckled cow with a fly on her nose, so that she 
looked as if she must sneeze. Rows of high-backed 
gilt chairs—gilt all over, even to the cane seats and 
the high backs—stood in utter boredom along the 
walls. An old chandelier made of glass, but with 
broad yellow bronze arms, from which hung the slender 
crystal drops, hovered in undeniable self-complacency 
above everything, catching every ray of light reflected 
from the white walls. The two old people sat at 
the two windows on their golden chairs with high, 
broad backs, placed on the raised window step, and 
making Kossling think involuntarily of royal thrones. 

Hetty looked at him as if to ask : Now, are you 
sorry you came? 

Uncle Eli still either did not or would not notice 
anything, then he looked up. “ Good day, Hetty. 
Well, how goes it? Ah, Doctor, I am glad you 
have found your way here. Tell me, Minnie, did you 
know Rosalie Zimmermann ?’’ 

“ How should I have known Rosalie Zimmermann?” 
Aunt Minnie retorted somewhat sharply, as if she had 
been having some difference of opinion with her old 
friend and husband. 

“ Well, Minnie, if you didn’t know her ”—and it 
was evident he was intent on a joke—“ you will, of 
course, not be able to grasp the grief of her survivors. 
For she died yesterday evening at half-past five. It 
is in the paper.” 

Hetty laughed, but Aunt Minnie was to-day in no 
humour for jokes. 

“ Well, Doctor,” Uncle Eli continued, “ do take a 
seat. Listen to me ; I want your opinion. Here I’m 
just reading something in the Observer —that in Mexico 
the lads of every kind hang the rattlesnake up on a 
board and slash it with a whip until it stings its own 
tail and kills itself. Do you believe it ? It’s a 
dangerous game, anyway. And why ever should any- 


122 


HETTY GEYBERT 


one put a rattlesnake into a half-grown child's hand. 
Now, why, Doctor?” 1 

But Kjssling could give him no reason. 

“ Aunt, what are you doing there? ” inquired Hetty, 
who was troubled that Aunt Minnie did not put down 
her work. 

“ Patching your uncle’s shirts—you see that, my 
lamb,” said Aunt Minnie with some sharpness. “ I 
tell you, it’s incredible the shirts that man tears to 
bits ! one a day.” 

“ Well, dear Minnie, I tell you what,” answered 
Uncle Eli, quite unperturbed, “ there’s the window, 
if you don’t like the shirts, pitch ’em out.” 

“ There, do you hear, Hetty ? Pitch ’em out, he 
says, the good linen shirts. Really, your uncle—well, 
he gets queerer every day 1 I tell you, Hetty, he is 
past putting up with, and some days he’s so deaf 
that I have to scream myself hoarse to make him 
hear. 

Hetty tried to calm her aunt, whilst Uncle Eli did 
not retaliate, but turned to Kossling. 

‘‘Doctor, have you heard the latest? There’s going 
to be war.” 

Hetty started. The word “ war ” always went 
through her like a knife. 

“ Oh, come, Pletty,” said Uncle Eli, who was 
evidently bent on fun to-day,” it is not exactly certain 
yet, but people fear Russia and France will declare 
war about Taglioni. For she is to appear in Paris 
and Petersburg at the same time, and so far she 
does not know how she can manage it.” 

Kossling and Hetty laughed, and even Aunt Minnie 
nodded graciously, for, after all, she was proud to 
have a husband whose words met with approval. 

“ Well, Uncle,” said Hetty, “ you are very gay 
to-day.” 

” And why not, Pletty ? No one knows how long 
he will have the chance. For, unfortunately, I must 
tell you that I can’t manage ballet-dancing very well 
now, and gymnastics are quite beyond me.” 


HETTY GEYBERT 123 

Meanwhile Kossling turned his eyes with some 
interest in the direction of the furniture. 

“Do you like the furniture. Doctor? It seems to 
me it’s something quite different from the stiff little 
chairs nowadays. Look how well they are made, 

all of them over fifty years old, and yet not the 
slightest chip in the gilding. You’ll find the same 
kind in the castle here. They have cost a tidy sum 
in their day — I fancy fifteen thalers a chair, or even 
more. I’ll look it up. I have a note of it some¬ 
where. I couldn’t buy them to-day. How much 

money, Doctor, do you think I used to have? Three 
hundred thousand thalers and more l I lost a great 
deal in the war—a very great deal, and that the 
French took from me. Well, not eight groschen of 
that shall I ever see again. And I say to myself, 
if I really still had all that money, what then? And 
for whom, perhaps ? After all, I can t eat more than 
enough, and to-day we had a very good dinner indeed 
— trust my wife for that. . . . Of course, I ve never 
been so lucky as my nephew, Solomon ; he only 
has to pick up eight groschen and straightway it 
turns into a thaler ! I have, when I think about it, 
yes, I have always just come a day too late.” 

Minnie shook her head with such indignation that 
the frills on her muslin cap fluttered to and fro. 

“What are you shaking your head for, Minnie? 
It is no disgrace to have had money once upon a 

tiri “ Hetty, tell me,” Minnie interrupted in her fear 
of further * disclosures from Uncle. “ And, Doctor, say 
what may I get you? I have some very good coffee 
cakes”— (at “coffee cakes” Uncle Eli pricked up his 
ears. “ Well, bring them out, then,” he said)—“ and 
excellent hip preserve and some ‘ green huntsman ’ 
wine, mild as rosewater, not the least bit sharp. 

But Hetty explained she would not eat anything 
now before supper, and least of all drink any green 
huntsman, and Kossling agreed with her. 

Uncle Eli was furious. “You shouldn t ask—you 


124 HETTY GEYBERT 

should give it ! But Aunt Minnie did not heed his 
expostulation. Their refusal was enough for her. 

“ Hetty, I say, if you really won’t take anything, 
do go into the parlour ; your uncle has given me 
a new easy chair ; do try it—I believe it’s just heavenly 
for a nap.” 

But Hetty was afraid she would waste her time in 
sleep, so must put off trying the new arm-chair until 
another time. When she was back again in Berlin, 
or she would, no doubt, come in sometime from 
Charlottenburg, and then she would be very pleased 
to spend a little time in the new easy chair, lost in 
drowsy meditation. 

The conversation showed signs of coming to a stand¬ 
still, and Kossling was getting impatient for Hetty 
to make a move, when Uncle Eli, with great solemnity, 
as though the question were one of life or death, 
inquired : 

“ Now, tell me, Doctor—what sort of Doctor are 
you exactly? Not of law ! And you don’t cure folk, 
either, do you? Well then, what kind of a Doctor 
are you really? ” 

Kossling laughed. 

How r can I explain ? At the end of my studies 
here in Berlin, I passed an examination and got the 
title of Doctor—Doctor Phil—Doctor Philosophise.” 

‘‘ Good,” Uncle Eli replied. “ Now, excuse my 
asking, but tell me, does that bring you in any 
money ? I only ask from curiosity, I don’t know any¬ 
thing about learned matters,” he went on with apparent 
simplicity. 

“ Yes and, no. In my profession it is a good 
recommendation, and besides, it always gives me some- 
thing to fall back upon * my back door, so to speak. 
If by any chance I should want to get a post at 
home, as master in a public school, as librarian or 
editor of a paper, then I must have my doctor’s 
degree.” 

Hetty had risen from her seat. “ Dear Uncle Eli,” 
she said a little ceremoniously, “ I must go home 


HETTY GEYBERT 125 

now. I have to get everything ready for to-morrow, 
and Aunt sends you her best love. She will soon 
come in to see you or you will come out to us, 
we hope. At the corner of Berlin and Rosinen Streets 
you will find us, at Frau Konnecke’s—Konnecke’s, don’t 
forget.” 

Kossling, too, got up and shook hands with the 
two old people. Eli insisted on seeing them out, 
whilst Minnie waved to them from the window and 
called out messages to Hetty until she felt assured 
they were out of hearing. Then she attacked Uncle 
Eli, who had quietly taken to his newspaper again, 
and, moreover, at exactly where he had left off. 

“ I don’t understand you, Eli,” she said in her 
loudest voice, so that he might not be able to take 
refuge in his deafness. “ How could you drive the 
man into a corner like that ? ” 

But Eli listened quite undisturbed. 

“ Well, I know why I did it,” he then answered 
with the air of a clever dog who had something 
quite special up his sleeve. 

“ Oh, I didn’t know,” replied Minnie, who at once 
understood his meaning. 

“ Well, it’s only my idea : he’s a nice-looking 
man. I should just like to know what he really is.” 

“ Of course, a very nice-looking man he is,” 
Minnie agreed. 

“ What concern is that of yours? ” Uncle Eli broke 
in. For, in spite of his seventy-nine and a half years, 
he was still as jealous as a Turk, an attention Aunt 
Minnie paid back in his own coin. 

“ Well, I suppose there is no law against saying 
so,” Aunt Minnie answered in self-defence. 

“ Well, you see, that’s why I wanted to keep my 
eyes open. You never know, it might be a chance foV 
Hetty ! What are you shaking your head for, Minnie 
—always shaking your head, you are ! Why shouldn’t 
it do for Hetty?” 

“ I really^ can’t imagine, Eli,” Minnie replied with 
oraeular deliberation, “ however you can think of such 


126 


HETTY GEYBERT 


a thing. Someone different from this will have to 
come for Hetty. What is he, then ? A writer ! And 
do you fancy Solomon will give Hetty to him of 
all people ? Already there have been others quite 
different that they would have liked. And do you 
think Solomon will by any chance give Hetty to a 
Christian, do you think he will now ? ” 

“ Well, I don’t see why not ; he could, for all I 
care,” Uncle Eli answered, taking up his paper again 
as a sign that he was no longer free for conversation. 

Hetty and Kossling walked along for a time, side 
by side, like two friends whose thoughts are busy 
with the same subject. 

It was beginning to grow dark, and the walls of 
the houses away over Alexander Platz suddenly shone 
with a bright silvery light. Hetty had not quite 
liked her old uncle’s questions ; she felt them tactless 
and interfering, although her woman’s intuition told 
her why the old man had laid these traps. 

Kossling, too, entirely candid as he was, and totally 
incapable of any subterfuge, had felt that there was 
some inner meaning in them, and had come away 
slightly ill at ease, in spite of all the kindness that 
had been shown him. Now he wanted to think of 
something quite different, and as he spoke of un¬ 
important matters he cast stolen glances at Hetty, 
at her forehead like opal, at the shadows from the 
lace on her broad-brimmed hat playing across her 
heavy, arched brows. His eyes, too, turned secretly 
to her feet that trod with such light, firm steps in 
her grey, high-heeled low boots. He felt the rhythm 
of her movements as she moved by his side. He 
longed to take long, eager draughts of this beauty, 
so full of life and so good to look upon, for who 
could tell when he could once more find refreshment 
at this fount of beauty, who could tell how long he 
must traverse the grey, monotonous desert of every¬ 
day life before he met once again this living beauty? 
No, he would take away with him all that eye and 
mind could grasp of her. Afterwards, in his solitude 


HETTY GEYBERT 


127 


up in his room, when his eyes turned to the corner 
where he was wont to seek her vision, he would find 
the treasure he had brought away all too small. And 
the picture would in any case lack that sense of 
vitality that surrounded him at this moment with such 
force and reality as almost to take his breath away. 

To-morrow she would leave Berlin to live quietly 
outside for months, and he would have no more 
opportunity of meeting her here. The realization of 
this suddenly seized him, oppressed him, made him 
weary and strangely sad—weary and strangely sad, 
like the pale pink, evening sky above, with its little 
grey cloudlets creeping up in rows and lines to spread 
as far as eye could reach . . . weary and strangely 
sad like the houses clustering beyond the square, 
shining now in a mysterious red light and shutting 
off the distance like some magic wall of rock. Weary 
and strangely sad . . . but why? 

Kossling was, indeed, not at all sure if he loved 
Hetty, really loved her. In the last few nights, when 
he could not sleep, he had tried to prove he did 
not ; nor did he know if she was clever, amiable 
or pleasing—he had wasted no thoughts on that—all 
he wanted was to see Hetty, to feel all her beauties 
at his side. He could not breathe without her, and 
could not understand how it had been possible to 
live, wanting her. Yet he did not love her, so he 
told himself. He had no eager desires for signs 
of her favour, no prospects, no hopes ; he stood 
before her as a beggar desiring some pious gift of 
her beauty that should make him infinitely richer and 
yet be no loss to her. He had never thought with 
the passing days what should come of it. Besides, 
nothing was to come of it ; his only desire was to 
see Hetty. And if God, up in His heaven, would 
grant him some loophole whence he could look down 
on her, he would stay there quiet as any mouse, 
never budging day or night, in utter forgetfulness 
of food or drink, rest or sleep—and to-morrow she 
was to leave Berlin for months ! 



128 


HETTY GEYBERT 


But, all at once, Hetty, who had been walking 
for some little time soberly at his side, began to 
speak, and Kossling started at her words. Had she 
been listening to his silent thoughts ? “ Now, Doctor,” 

she said, dropping her head so that Kossling could 
not catch a glimpse of her face, “ to-morrow I have 
to leave here, and must say farewell. We shall not 
be able to go shopping together then. Have you 
made any plans yet for the summer ? ” 

No, what plans could he make? He had not been 
thinking of his affairs lately. 

“Well, I meant, whether you were going away 
too.” 

For the moment Kossling’s brain roared and 
hammered like any blacksmith's shop as he struck 
balances by the hundred, reckoned up every single 
groschen that he had, would have or might possibly 
get, all to confirm what he already knew : it could 
not be done, he was not able to move to Charlottenburg, 
he was tied to Berlin. His sources of revenue were 
here, and even if he had to teach Latin and give 
music lessons—here he must stay. And he couldn’t 
even pay for two rooms. Heavens above, not even 
the few wretched gold pieces ! 

“ No, I have no plans for my summer at all ; no 
doubt it has plans for me. But since Charlottenburg 
is so near Berlin that it only takes an hour and a 
half to get there, I will take care not to leave Berlin. 

“Well, then, I shall be sure to see you soon.’” 

“ But suppose you are not there, and I do not 
find you?” Kossling interposed in a voice that be¬ 
trayed the anxiety he felt at the very thought of such 
a contingency. 

“Why shouldn’t you find me?” laughed Hetty. 

I shall not come in much to Berlin ; now, my aunt 
cannot endure it out there for three days even—it 
is too lonely, and that she does not like. If she 
cannot see the drays stopping outside her window 
so that she can read the labels on the packing cases 
and find out whether Jonas Stern is sending away 


HETTY GEYBERT 129 

more or less than Solomon Geybert & Co., then she 
is deprived of all interest and pride in life.” 

“ Then, if you allow me, I shall come out, and 

perhaps we shall see one another often. For it is 
indeed pleasant to get out of the city on a fine 

spring afternoon with a definite aim and object, and 

to know that we shall find at the end of our journey 
something that gives us joy ”—he had almost said 
“ that we love,” and was thankful the words had 

not escaped. 

They had again reached the corner of the Spandau 
and Konig Streets. It was by now fairly late, so 
there were but few foot-passengers, and only three 
or four carriages from Alexander Square raised clouds 
of dust as they drove by at full speed. 

“ Nov/ I must go home. I think Uncle Jason will 
be there. Twice already I thought I saw him, and 
the third time it will come true. It never fails.” 

“ Oh, but it does. Lately I thought I saw some¬ 
one twenty times at least, and never met them after 
all.” 

“What, never at all?” 

“ Well, yes, at the very last I did,” Kossling un¬ 
willingly assented. 

“ Well then?” Hetty asked a little roguishly, with 
a look that made Kossling hot all over and set his 
temples tingling as with the prick of a thousand needle¬ 
points. 

Now they were in front of Hetty’s home, whose 
broad porch gaped like some dark cavern, since the 
lamp in the passage had not yet been lit. And higher 
up, above the weather-beaten medallions with their 
encircling garlands, one could just discern the whole 
row of broad, high window-frames surrounding the 
dull eyes of rounded glass panes. 

The employees were coming out of the office, for 
it was closing time for Solomon Geybert & Co. : 
one after another they came, and to every one Hetty 
gave the same friendly greeting. Last of all came the 
old book-keeper who, for the past twenty years, had 

9 


130 HETTY GEYBERT 

been entered in the firm’s yearly inventory. This shabby, 
crusty old fellow, as grumpy as a beaver driven out 
of his home, fumbled about with the great keys at 
the door leading to the business as he came out, 
lifted his nose in the air, sniffed right and left, and 
toddled off to Schonhaus, the suburb where he had a 
nice little home and garden—toddled off without even 
deigning to notice Hetty. 

“ Whatever’s the matter now with this Demcke? 
What is the matter? Some upset or other, no doubt, 
between him and Uncle Jason—it is the same, thank 
Heaven, every year.” 

Hetty stepped into the porch and Kossling caught 
tiight of her bright face outlined against the dark 
purple background extending behind her. 

“ I must go up now,” she said. “ By the end of next 
week I think we shall be fairly settled out in the 
country.” 

And she offered her hand to Kossling with gentle 
indifference—that beautiful hand, slender but not thin, 
with fingers round as though turned upon a lathe, 
peeping out from her openwork mittens. Kossling 
took it very carefully, as if afraid of hurting her, and 
slowly raised it. Hetty’s arm unconsciously obeyed until 
he gently touched her finger-tips with his lips—he felt 
as though they kissed some flower petal, so soft was 
her hand. He was only thankful that he was facing 
darkness, for his eyes burnt and smarted strangely, 
as though filling with unwonted moisture. 

“ Farewell, ma belle,” he said in slow, dispirited 
tones, “ farewell, ma chere ... or do you permit 
—may I say, ma belle cherie? ” 

Hetty answered : “ Good-bye, until our next 

meeting.” 

“ Saturday, then.” 

“ Perhaps.” 

“ Perhaps.” 

When Hetty was half-way up the steps, she heard 
once more a very gentle “ Farewell, my belle cherie,” 
but she was not quite sure whether it was only an echo 


HETTY GEYBERT 


131 


in her ears and that Kossling had already gone, or 
whether he was still standing at the foot of the covered 
steps and had really uttered the words. And she 
hastily ran up the remaining steps. 

On the topmost stair it struck her that Aunt Janey 
would certainly have been there in the interval to 
bring a report of her and her companion, and she 
at once determined to disarm all reproach by telling, 
first thing, quite quietly, that she had met Dr. Koss¬ 
ling by accident and had spent a little of the afternoon 
chatting with him. 

If she had thought there could possibly be anything 
not quite seemly in this, she would certainly not have 
taken Kossling into Uncle Eli’s. Besides, she would 
say to her aunt as well that she was now old enough 
to do as she chose and knew perfectly well what was 
fitting. 

When Hetty rang, the bell sounded clear and loud, 
jingling and jangling on and on as though it would 
never stop, and as she stood there, hot and excited 
in the warmth and darkness, she could hear voices 
inside. Yes, to be sure—it was Uncle Jason and 
then Aunt Rika’s high, slow tones. And mingling 
with these a voice she did not know—small, oily, 
guttural—a voice that awoke in Hetty the disagree¬ 
able mental picture of an old, dark, reddish-brown 
wool rug. Why, she did not know. And she heard 
first her name and then Kossling’s, but could not 
make out in what connection. 

After a time her aunt came to open the door. 
Hetty was surprised to see her in her new low-necked 
gown of pale-grey foulard spotted with black, and said 
to herself that it must be something very special to 
induce such afternoon attire. 

After her first greeting she was going on to tell 
about Kossling, when her aunt cut her tale short with : 

“ Guess, Hetty, who is here ! ” 

Hetty could not guess. For the fact that Uncle 
Jason was there would be no sufficient answer to the 
riddle. 


132 HETTY GEYBERT 

“ Julius ! Just think, Julius ! ” her Aunt burst out 
at last, at a rate to which Hetty was very unaccustomed. 

If Aunt Rika had told her that Vitzliputzli had 
just come down to earth and in his majestic self had 
visited her in Spandau Street, it would have been 
equally enlightening to Hetty—or more so ; for Hetty 
did at least know that Vitzliputzli was a divinity whom 
the ancient Mexicans used to honour with offerings of 
blood—but she had not the faintest idea who “ Julius ” 
might be. Search her memory as she might, she could 
not find, at the moment, a single page inscribed with 
the name of this Julius whose presence so excited 
and delighted Aunt Rika that it made her entirely 
forget all reproof as regarded Dr. Kossling. 

Aunt Rika could not fail to notice that this Julius 
was for Hetty a somewhat imaginary hero, so she 
repeated in her old, slow speech : 

“ Now, Hetty, you surely remember—Julius, the 
second son of my sister-in-law Birdie in Benshen, 
you remember of course—a son of my late brother 
Nero. Why, he was here once before. You will be 
astonished to see how he has altered. You won’t 
recognise him at all.” 

Of that Hetty was sure herself, for it was eighteen 
or twenty years since Julius had been in Berlin, and 
she no longer had the slightest recollection of what 
he looked like. She did not even know whether he 
had a straight or crooked nose—she only remembered 
that at the time—it was in Charlottenburg, too—he 
had in some way made himself very unpopular and had 
therefore gone home more quickly than he came. For 
her uncle, one fine morning, had taken him in one 
hand and his little box in the other and when, at 
dinner-time, someone asked where Julius was, uncle 
had said that he had been sitting since half-past 
ten in the express coach to Posen, so that, with 
God’s help, he would be by now at least as far as 
Strausberg. 

This Julius was twelve years old then, and his 
mysterious disappearance had impressed Hetty more 


HETTY GEYBERT 


133 


than his personality. “ Hetty,” her Aunt began, as 
she went into her room to take off her hat, ” I think 
you will like him, a gentleman from head to foot. 
Now, come quickly, then.” 

Hetty hung up her lace shawl with a sigh and looked 
longingly round her room. The windows stood open, the 
muslin curtains fluttered into the room, all so quiet and 
peaceful. Outside, the walnut-tree, in front of the bal¬ 
cony, had now unfolded its dark young leaves and behind 
its open network of branches a last stray sunbeam lit 
up the crooked brown tiles on the roof of the outhouse 
—a late greeting from the sun, who had said farewell 
to the earth half an hour before, but, like some devoted 
lover in this spring-time, could still not part with her, 
but turned again and again as he went away and threw 
her kiss after kiss. And the reflection of this light on 
the roof-tiles filled all the room with a strange, ruddy 
light. 

Hetty would so much have liked to be by herself 
for a little ; but there, this Julius of Aunt Birdie’s in 
Benshen had just come—God knows why—and she 
pulled herself together and went over to the dining¬ 
room, for all was silent now in the best room. 

Aunt Rika had just lit the lamp ; as a rule when 
they were by themselves they only burnt candles. 

Jason was sitting in the easy chair, and the new 
cousin rose from the sofa and came to meet Hetty, 
accompanied and protected by Aunt Rika s tender 
glances. 

Hetty could see in him but little of the gentleman. 
The cousin—well, he was no cousin at all of hers—was 
short and fat as though he had been hammered down, 
looked very well and red, and had thick stiff hair that 
absolutely refused to lie down round his forehead or on 
the top of his head, but stood out in all directions like 
the spikes of a hedgehog on the defensive. 

Yet he was not ugly, and had little gay eyes, hiding 
cunning in their depths. His hand was small and 
broad, and when, as he offered it to Hetty, it lay for a 
moment in hers, she felt as if the top joints had been 


134 HETTY GEYBERT 

chopped off, the fingers were so short. No, Hetty could 
not see much of a gentleman in him. His clothes, the 
bottle-green colour, their cut, all struck her as old- 
fashioned and countrified. This waistcoat pattern had 
long since been discarded in their stock-room below, 
and this watch-chain with the coins and the broad silver 
links was the kind the peasants always wore when 
they came in to market. In comparison with Uncle 
Jason, who was nearly always something of a dandy, 
he cut, indeed, a very poor, provincial figure. 

But after all what concern was he of hers, this 
cousin Julius Jacoby from Benshen, who after all was 
no real cousin at all? 

“ Well, Mademoiselle Hetty, I expect you have for¬ 
gotten me by now,” said Julius Jacoby, in the small, 
oily voice that so exactly suited his appearance. 

“ Oh no, not at all. You have not changed 
much,” Hetty falsely asserted, in spite of the fact 
that she had not the slightest inkling of any memory 
of him. 

“ Nor have you, dear cousin ; you are still just as 
pretty as you were then.” 

“ I am no cousin at all of his ; what’s he talking 
about ! ” thought Hetty as she suddenly had an un¬ 
pleasant sensation of having touched all unawares some 
live clammy creature, a frog or a caterpillar. 

“ What a pity, terrible pity, that Uncle is away,” 
the new cousin remarked ; but it was evident he only 
said it for the sake of saying something. 

“ Yes, we miss him here,” Hetty answered, as she 
pushed a chair up to the table, in which operation the 
new cousin—who was after all no cousin at all—tried 
in vain to help. And at that moment Hetty seemed to 
see some mysterious connection between her Uncle’s 
absence and the arrival of the new cousin—who was 
no cousin at all—some intrigue, something she could 
neither know nor guess, but which seemed to forbode 
coming unpleasantness and danger to her. And that 
mysterious feeling of a clammy touch overcame her 
once more and actually made her shudder. 


135 


HETTY GEYBERT 

Well, Uncle Jason, I haven’t seen you for such a 
long time—you look so vexed ! Is anything the 
matter ? ” 

“ Oh,” Jason answered, striking the table with his 
open hand,” I really can’t endure this everlasting worry 
in the business.” 

Hetty was a little surprised, for his worry could 
not be of quite such long standing since Jason had 
reappeared down below in the office that very after¬ 
noon for the first time—after a year’s absence. But 
Hetty was wise and said nothing, although Jason might 
perhaps have been the first to appreciate the force of 
this objection. 

“ But I shall write to Solomon—he must get rid of 
Demcke—he or I must go ! We cannot possibly go on 
working together. I will not submit to the dictatorship 
of this ass.” He turned to Julius Jacoby. “ For he 
really is an old ass—a merchant of the old school—a 
retail shopkeeper and a pedantic old slow-coach. I 
have an upstir with him now every year ! ” 

“ Yes,” Julius Jacoby answered, leaning far over 
the table and speaking eloquently with his hands as 
well. “ I tell you that’s exactly how it was with my 
principal in Posen, just as you say, Herr Geybert : a 
retail shopkeeper and a pedantic old slow-coach. That’s 
no good, nowadays. No matter how much his father 
and grandfather did business like that. It is no good 
nowadays. And I told him so. The merchant to-day 
must be cosmopolitan, he must follow the course of 
politics, keep his eyes open and not hang himself 
on to a quarter of an ell of gingham too much or too 
little. We modern traders can’t do that any longer. 

» Isn’t that right, Herr Geybert?” 

Jason looked at him with quiet amazement in his 
large grey eyes, and only Hetty noticed the admixture 
of scorn and bitterness when he slowly answered as if 
weighing every word before he uttered it. “ Certainly, 
wq modern traders can no longer hang ourselves on 
to a quarter of an ell of gingham too much or too little 
—there you are quite right, Herr Jacoby.” 





136 HETTY GEYBERT 

“ But, Jason, I say, you won’t really write to Solomon 
about Demcke,” Aunt Rika broke in anxiously. “ You 
know, don’t you, that he mustn’t be excited, the physi¬ 
cian said. And, after all, Demcke has been so long 
in the business. Leave him alone and he’ll leave you 
alone.” 

“ But that’s just it, dear Aunt Rika,” Julius Jacoby 
interrupted in a tone of superior knowledge, “ then 
they take such liberties. In our business at Posen there 
was a book-keeper who had begun with the old Rosen- 
stein and then been with his sons. Do you think 
afterwards he would take any orders from the head ? 

Jason looked at Hetty, and in that look she read 
quite plainly. “ Do you see he is trying to catch me 
now, this fine young counsin from Benshen, but I’ll 
show him my teeth.” 

“ Well,” he said, “ and what are you going to do 
here, Herr Jacoby? Are you staying here only for 
amusement? ” 

The new cousin seemed somewhat embarrassed, but 
he quickly saw there would be no harm in showing his 
hand here. 

“ No, certainly not, Herr Geybert. But, you know, 
a man of my sort can really only live and get on 
in the capital. I must be where things are moving a 
little. Even in Posen I felt everything too small. In 
all probability I shall get an independence there. I have 
a partner in view, too—we made one another’s acquaint¬ 
ance in Posen—wholesale leather trade. I’ve very good 
prospects for this in Russia. I tell you there’s lots 
of money to be made nowadays in leather. Leather 
is still a very - good line—not so depressed as manu¬ 
factured goods and silks.” 

“ Do you say so ? ” Uncle Jason remarked, shaking 
his head as if deeply regretting the fatal depression 
in manufactured goods ! “ Then in Posen you are 

better informed than we are here. For in Berlin 
they say that, owing to the reduction in imports from 
England, there has been enormous improvement in 
manufactured goods the last few years.” 


HETTY GEYBERT 


137 


“ The big firms, yes, of course, the big firms. I 
didn’t mean them. They always have a good turn-over, 
no matter what their line. But you ought to hear how 
the small manufacturers complain just now, out in the 
provinces. And didn’t Selke & Seligman—and Selke 
& Seligman was a good firm, a very good firm—come 
to grief last year with shoes and stockings? ” Hetty’s 
thoughts were far afield, busy collecting her things, 
out already in Charlottenburg, so that she could only 
see her immediate surroundings through a veil, darkly. 
This cousin Julius—who really was no cousin at all— 
bored her ; this lively, little bristly hedgehog, with 
his bluster and praise of the leather line and its 
advantages. She gave a smothered yawn as she turned 
to the window and looked out into the blue twilight. 
Nor was she sorry when she could go out to see about 
supper. 

Meantime Julius went on talking without a pause ; 
his mouth, with its firm, red lips, never stood still for 
a single moment. He talked about his coach journey, 
his travelling companions, how he had almost come 
to blows with an officer—but he would have let him 
have a good dressing-down—about his first principal 
in Benshen and his last principal in Posen, both of 
whom would have been rich people by now if they 
had only followed his advice ; talked about his sister 
Rosalie and his sister Flossie, who was, unfortunately, 
a little deformed ; talked about his late father Nero, 
who had had erysipelas and eczema on the top of it— 
in fact, he suffered from general impurity of the blood. 
And he talked about his aunt Goldine who, although 1 
not compelled to, still did the finest patterns in cross- 
stitch without using glasses ; about the theatre in 
Posen, where last winter he had heard The Italian 
Woman in Algiers, and once the extemporiser Lan- 
genschwarz. No one need imagine that Posen was in 
any way behind Berlin. 

Jason sat opposite him, nodding now and then in 
tlloughtful acquiescence, and apparently watching his 
mouth with an interested look in his grey eyes. 


138 


HETTY GEYBERT 


He was amused by this new cousin Julius, with his 
garrulous, provincial self-sufficiency and his mixture 
of impudence, cunning and good-nature. He allowed 
himself to be immersed in this flood of chatter as 
in a warm bath, in pleasant inactivity of body and 
mind. He really scarcely heard what the other was 
saying. None of it concerned him. He did not know 
either the people or circumstances, and his world had 
nothing at all in common with the new cousin’s. 

Aunt Rika, too, listened in much the same silence, 
only showing her interest by an occasional question. 
She felt at last—at last—in her element once again. 
This was something quite different from these ever¬ 
lasting Geyberts, where no one ever knew what .they 
meant or if they were only making fun, exciting them¬ 
selves over hundreds of things of no concern to any¬ 
one : politics, books, theatres and newspapers, matters 
that didn’t affect anybody. Aunt Rika grew quite red 
and her little black jet buttons of eyes began literally 
to shine with delight. She thought something of her 
own flesh and blood, and here at last was one of her 
family again. Just like her late brother Nero ; she 
was really overjoyed to see how her nephew Julius 
had developed—far more than she had expected—and 
what savoir vivre he had—a gentleman through and 
through ! 

When Hetty came in again, this cousin Julius—who 
was really no cousin at all—was leading the conver¬ 
sation—and continued to do so. Jason, on the other 
hand, had grown very silent, only shaking his head 
from time to time. 

“ Do you know, if there is anyone I envy, it is 
this knight of industry,” he whispered to Hetty. “ A 
gay youth ! Troubled neither by doubts nor scruples.” 

Hetty nodded. She compared this obtrusive self- 
assertion—for what else was it?—with the modesty of 
another, who said more in one sentence than this little, 
bristly hedgehog managed to express in a whole 
evening. : | 

“ But really anything like that ought to be killed,” 


HETTY GEYBERT 139 

went on Jason very softly after a short pause. “ It 
really ought to be done,” he added fiercely, aloud. 

“ What ought to be done, Jason?” Rika inquired 
in anxious surprise. 

“ A letter about Demcke written to Solomon,” 
growled Jason. 

“ Jason, don’t do it, I beg of you—let it alone. 
Solomon will only be annoyed about it, and then he’ll 
have to begin his treatment all over again.” 

The new cousin Julius never noticed in the least 
that perhaps he was talking a little too much. He 
was blissfully happy to hear his own voice, and it 
never struck him that the rest of the company really 
had no use for the intimate details of the last business 
post he occupied in Posen. Every time anyone made 

a modest attempt to lead the conversation on to topics 

of more general interest, the new cousin Julius at 
once hung on to his principal in Posen as fast as a 
gudgeon on to a hook. He had no interest in any¬ 
thing at all outside himself. He showed no surprise at 
the pretty china or the old silver used at table, nor 

at the new steel engravings bought by Uncle, which 

Aunt Rika showed him—nor did he say whether Berlin 
had impressed him or how he liked it—everything he 
had so far seen or heard had disappeared without a 
trace. He only talked of his principal in Posen who, 
if he had followed his advice, would by now have been 
really and truly an enormously rich man. 

Hetty, however, could not understand why the new 
cousin had not followed this advice himself, or why 
he had felt compelled, out of pure good-nature, to 
leave it entirely for other people to use. 

It was quite evident now that Jason’s patience was 
nearly exhausted and who knows what might have 
happened—for he was never to be trifled with—if 
Aunt Rika’s good cooking had not given him a kindly 
tolerance for the faults and failings of his fellow-men? 

Aunt Rika had hunted out from the secret recesses 
of her store-room whatever could be found there, and it 
was nothing less than a miracle of nature that she 


140 HETTY GEYBERT 

could now, at the end of April, put on her table 
a breast of goose as young and delicate as if it were 
the ist of November. The smoked salmon, too, was 
as sweet as a nut and had not the very slightest nip 
about it. 

Jason occupied himself thoroughly with the investi¬ 
gation of these strange phenomena, and in so doing 
entirely forgot his anger with the new cousin Julius— 
who, however, was really no cousin at all. 

“ I say, Hetty, what will you give me, if I do 
something to please you? ” 

“ Give you, Uncle ? Well, what do you want ? My 
love once more? Is that enough for you? ” 

“ Right, Hetty, that will satisfy me. Look, some¬ 
time, over there in a corner of the window-sill and in 
the paper there are a few books for you, for quiet 
mornings out there in the summer-house at Char- 
lottenburg. I chose them with the same care as your 
Aunt Rika did this evening’s supper for the worthy 
new cousin Julius.” 

Aunt Rika flushed and plucked her skirt. That was 
another of those truly Geybert jokes. As if it was 
not just as good every day in her house. But she 
quickly recovered her composure and showed no sign 
of irritation. 

“ Well, Jason, don’t you enjoy it, too?” she asked 
with marked friendliness. For Aunt Rika generally 
grew more amiable, the more anything was rankling in 
her mind. That he had enjoyed it, Jason was obliged 
to confess with a laugh, and so came off less than 
victor. 

‘‘What are they, then, Uncle?” Hetty inquired, 
for she did not dare to fetch the books to the supper- 
table, because Uncle Jason was as painfully particular 
with his books as with his clothes, and if he found any 
one of them with a page marked or the cover a little 
rubbed, he could not bear the look of it any longer 
and gave it away to the first comer, no matter who 
it might be. In course of time he had got so far 
as practically never to lend his books and only made 


HETTY GEYBERT 


141 


an exception in favour of Hetty, who knew how to value 
them and took pains to show herself worthy of the 
favour. 

“ I really ought to keep that as a surprise for you, 
my child ; but since it is you, I will not preserve 
secrecy. Listen : 

“ Leave, O world, O leave me free ! 

Snare me not with love’s own gift. 

.Leave my heart alone to lift 
Its own pain, its ecstasy. 

“ Do you know who that is ? I don’t think you 
have ever heard the name although the book has been 
out two years already. The poems are just written 
for your arbour ; they really scarcely ought to be read 
in a room. And then there is another little volume— 
also more than two years old. Its contents may, 
perhaps, have no interest for you, but it is good for 
you to read the book. It gives one more backbone, 
and it is, I think, the most beautiful piece of German 
that has been written lately. ‘ My friends complain,’ 
it begins, ‘ that I so seldom speak for our deaf-mute 
Fatherland. Ah, they think I write as they do with 
pen and ink, but I write instead with my own life¬ 
blood and nerve-force. And I sometimes lack courage 
to impose this torture upon myself, sometimes lack the 
strength to bear it.’ ” 

Hetty looked straight in front of her for a moment. 
“ Borne, isn’t it, Borne? ” 

“ Of course, Hetty ; who else could it be? You can 
hear that in a minute. And then I have put in as well 
the last two years of the Annual of the Rhenish Muses , 
with a few poems in it by Eichendorff, Prutz and 
Freiligrath. But these are only the light, delicate 
entrees. You will find more concentrated nourishment 
as well : the meaty goose breasts ”—pointing to the 
table ; “ the great fat slices of roast ”—pointing to 

another dish ; “ Thackeray’s Vanity Fair and Balzac’s 
Cats Playing at Ball. And as contrast, the lighter, 
more delicate dessert, so to speak ; as a last titbit 


142 HETTY GEYBERT 

I commend to you Gandy’s Venetian Tales and 
Eichendorff’s Castle Durande." This was the longest 
speech that Uncle Jason had uttered that evening. 

” I do not understand you,” Aunt Rika began after 
a short pause—her unfailing introduction whenever she 
spoke to Jason, for she really never understood any¬ 
thing he said or did—” now, do you actually think 
Hetty will read all that? Besides, she will have some¬ 
thing else to do out there in Charlottenburg. More 
than that, you really make Hetty quite stupid with 
all your mass of books ! ” 

“ Oh no, dear Aunt,” interrupted the new cousin 
Julius, ” you mustn’t say that. Why shouldn’t she 
read? I like reading too, like it very much, and I 
used to do a great deal. Now, of course, I haven’t the 
time, but even I have brought with me books from our 
big lending library at home, close to the New Market. 
I know the man, so I bought them cheap there. Books, 
I tell you, Mademoiselle Hetty, that are not read in 
these days ; I’ve got a whole box full of them in the 
inn—for i put up here at ‘ The Golden Buck.’ Quite 
good books by Leibrock, Ritter and La Fontaine as 
well—all good books—and a whole row of the little 
Forget-me-not pocket series.” 

” Ah yes, those by Clauren? ” 

“ I don’t know, Herr Geybert, but the man spoke 
very highly of them to me. He said they would cer¬ 
tainly be very instructive and interesting for me. And 
he must know them, of course ; for, after all, they’re 
his stock-in-trade.” 

” Of course, the man’s information is quite correct.” 

” Perhaps, Fraulein, I might bring you out some 
of them to Charlottenburg. I will look out the best. 
And what shall I get for them, Fraulein? ” 

” Don’t trouble,” Hetty said, making a great effort 
to hide her indignation. “You see, I am sure that, 
for the present, I shall have enough to read, enough' 
and to spare. If I am short of books I will apply to 
you—and not rob you of them just now.” 

” But, Fraulein Hetty, it makes no difference to 


HETTY GEYBERT 143 

me. You would not rob me in the least. And I 
really don t know if I shall get any reading done now. 
I shall have a great deal to do, and a business man, 
even if he wished, cannot read books, however much 
he enjoys doing so.” Uncle Jason began to fix his 
attention on the supper once more, for that seemed 
to him the only way to turn his energy into another 
channel. 

“ Forgive me, dear Aunt,” the new cousin Julius 
began again after a short pause, “ forgive me if I 
run away soon. But I should like to do a little more 
sightseeing. In Posen I was told so much about the 
Berlin night-life and warned to be sure not to miss it. 
I don’t go in for such things as a rule but, as a 
: stranger, I would like to get a sight of it. Where 
would it be best to go, Herr Geybert ? To the Orpheus ? 
Don’t you think the Orpheus ? I only ask for the sake 
of knowing.” 

Aunt Rika dropped her eyes to her plate, but Hetty 
laughed, quite unabashed : 

“Now, Uncle Jason?” 

“ Unfortunately, most unfortunately, Herr Jacoby ”— 
Jason stopped his occupation as if considering the 
matter—“ I really cannot inform you, for Berlin night¬ 
life only exists for strangers coming from Posen. But 
—your pardon, ladies—the waiter, Karl, in ‘ The Golden 
Buck ’ has, I believe, a printed list of all the places 
that ought to be visited here to talk about in Posen. 
Hasn’t he brought it to your room? Mark my words, 
Herr Jacoby, you’ll find it, later on, by your tallow 
candle. If not, then just remind him of it ; he’ll 
give it to you for certain.” 

“Will he really?” Aunt Rika asked incredulously. 

“Yes, don’t you know that, then, Rika? And you 
have been almost thirty years in Berlin by now ! ” 

“ But, Jason, how should I get to know a thing 
like that? ” 

“ Yes, but I’ve heard about it before now,” came 
a somewhat saucy accompaniment from Hetty, who 
was nothing if not a true Geybert. 





144 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ I don’t understand where you can hear such a 
thing, Hetty. Certainly nothing of the sort in this 

house.” „ . . 

The new cousin Julius—who was really no cousin at 
all—now got up to extort the list from waiter Karl 
at ‘‘The Golden Buck.” And Jason expressed his 
regret that he had to go “ so soon,” but Aunt Rika 
said that she would not keep him, for a young man m 
Berlin—she felt the dignity now of living in the capital 
—could easily find more interesting and amusing society 
than hers. 

She did not fail to ask him to come very soon and 
very often to Charlottenburg, and after assurances of 
their pleasure and satisfaction at the new acquaint¬ 
ance had been mutually exchanged, Aunt Rika saw him 
to the door and the new cousin really went. 

“ Now, Rika, I tell you if you are not back soon I 
shall feel"it my duty to inform Solomon of the matter,” 
Jason called after her in a significant tone. 

But Rika, whose mind still ran on Demcke, replied : 
“ Oh, don’t, Jason ; you know Solomon will be annoyed, 
and then he’ll have to begin the treatment all over 
again.” 

“ Now, Uncle,” Hetty began, after a little pause, 
bending her head to lay one cheek against the bare 
arm whose elbow she had propped on the table and 
looking inquiringly into Jason’s eyes as he sat opposite 
to her, “ you have been greatly missed.” 

‘‘By you?” queried Jason. And to himself he 
said : ” Why is the lass so beautiful to-day, really 

strangely beautiful to-day ? ” 

“ Yes, Uncle—by me.” 

“Only by you? By nobody but you?” 

“ Yes, Uncle, by someone else as well.” 

“ That I can well believe ; Aunt Janey has been here 
already, Hetty.” 

“ But we met quite by chance. Quite by chance— 
really, Uncle—and I was pleased to get a chance of 
saying good-bye to Dr. Kossling. For no doubt he 
would have come to see us in the next few days and 


HETTY GEYBERT 145 

then would have found no one here. Afterwards we 
went in to Uncle Eli’s for a minute as well. He called 
us in as we passed.” 

They had been to Uncle Eli’s together? Uncle 
Jason didn’t quite know what to say to that. He did 
not want to magnify the occurrence and so possibly 
endow it, in Hetty’s eyes, with an importance it had 
lacked before : he realised there might be danger in 
that ; on the other hand, he was equally reluctant to 
accept it as quite in the natural order of things. 
Moreover, he could not reconcile it with his conscience 
to sanction something that could only end badly. And 
lastly, he had far too high an opinion of Kossling to 
be able to say a word in his disfavour. All these con¬ 
siderations pressed upon him, and Jason grew quite 
hot with indecision and really did not know what to 
answer. “ Oh yes,” he replied at last, ‘‘it is true I 
haven’t seen Kossling for quite a long time.” 

“ I suppose he is much younger than you? ” 

“ Fifteen years at least, Hetty, if not more.” 

I am glad, you know, that you are such good 
friends in spite of that ; I think it does you both 
credit.” 

“ Well now, Hetty, I can’t explain it to you quite 
like that. But I believe he will, some day, be some¬ 
thing, something quite out of the common. He is 
made of the right stuff for that. And even if he 
shouldn’t be anything special—and is it always our 
duty, I wonder, to be something special?—I like him 
because I see and discover in him what once was in me 
too, and because there is really more in him than I 
ever had; and because—do you understand?—he has 
a spiritual shyness with regard to all impressions, 
because really he is still a pure child, because every¬ 
thing has passed by him and only touched his skin, 
not sunk in any deeper. You see, he was quite poor 
as a boy, the son of some brassfounder or other—quite 
poor and always moving in circles above him ; always 
sitting at festive boards, yet never getting a bite him¬ 
self. But even that has left him unscathed. I believe 

10 


146 HETTY GEYBERT 

he is now well-off, compared with earlier days, and 
yet I know that sometimes, for weeks together, he lives 
in less comfort than a crossing-sweeper, perhaps only 
to buy himself a book that he thinks he must have.” 

As her uncle spoke, Hetty leant forward over the 
table and listened eagerly, as if she had to repeat every 
sentence and would incur a penalty for every missing 
verb or conjunction. 

As Jason saw by Hetty’s face that it had not 
been exactly wise of him to blow Kossling’s trumpet, 
he passed—in thought at least—to the second subject 
of that evening as he asked: 

*‘ Well, Hetty, how do you like him? Come now ! 

Hetty looked down at the table in much confusion, 
at the same time trying to give a simple ordinary 
judgment. 

“ He seems to me very modest and amiable,” she 
answered after a pause. 

l “ Modest and amiable ? An arrogant ass, that’s 
what he is ! ” 

“ But, Uncle, just now you were telling me, and 
now to say that of him! ” Hetty was angry, really 
angry, and all the more beautiful for that. 

“ Charlotte Corday,” Jason said to himself. “ Good 
heavens, girl, whom do you mean ? Kossling, of 
course? Kossling—always Kossling. I’m talking of 
your new cousin. What do you think he is? ” 

“ Quite passable everyday stuff, Uncle. I fancy he’ll 
make his way here in business.” 

‘‘Of course this youth will make his way. That’s 
just the annoying part of it, that a fellow like that 
gets on and afterwards thinks he’s a marvel. He’s 
the sort that comes here with a shilling in his pocket 
and forty years later rides in his carriage ; the sort 
that gets a firm footing, marries a rich wife, and lets 
his money breed money like cats in May. Mark my 
words, if anyone asks your new cousin-” 

‘‘Why specially my cousin?” 

“ Sorry, but he is your cousin. He’s no con¬ 
nection of mine. Well then, if anyone asks your 


HETTY GEYBERT 


147 


new cousin to-day where he comes from, he’ll say: 

4 From Posen.’ Won’t he? He’ll say that, I know. 
And if five years hence anyone asks him, he will say 
certainly he is from Posen, but came to Berlin as 
quite a little chap, so could only dimly remember 
his native place. And if he is asked ten years hence 
he will answer by asking if they can’t see he is a 
native of Berlin. By then he will be quite unable 
to imagine the possibility of anyone being born out 
of Berlin.” 

Hetty laughed. 44 You may be right. Uncle.” 

44 And do you know where he comes from really ? 
Why, from Benshen ! Do you know Benshen? Well, 
I do. You must picture it something like this : the 
whole place just one street that you no sooner enter 
at one end than you are out of it at the other. There’s 
only one danger to threaten you there ; be sure and 
shut your eyes in Benshen and keep them tightly 
closed, or they’ll steal away the very whites. The 
Lowenbergers are jokers compared with the Benshen 
folk. Of course this young man from Benshen will 
make his way ; his sort come to Berlin like flies 
to a honey-pot.” 

Hetty did not quite take this view or, at any rate, 
would not own to it. She took up cudgels for the 
new cousin ; he might turn out all right. But Jason 
would scarcely let her say a word—he couldn’t explain 
the whole matter to her, nor would he, but he saw 
it from a different point of view. 

In the midst of their heated argument in came 
Aunt Rika. 44 Quite right, Jason,” she said as she 
opened the door and stood filling the doorway with 
her broad form and arms akimbo— 44 quite right, Jason, 
to give it Hetty ; she has no business to do such 
things. It’s not fitting for a well brought-up girl, 
Hetty.” 

And with this Aunt Rika stepped into the room, 
but she had not reached the table before Hetty had 
risen and gone—to their utter surprise—past her 
without a word, and out of the door, heedless of 


148 HETTY GEYBERT 

Jason’s protests and her aunt’s attempts at pacifica¬ 
tion. She locked her room door, took out the key, 
and sat down in the dark on the edge of her bed. 
She was determined not to cry, but tears, great tears, 
dropped all unbidden, one by one, from her eyes 
and fell like heavy drops of warm rain upon her 
hands. The windows had been left open, and she 
was completely enveloped in the damp, dark night 
air and the heavy scent floating in from the walnut- 
tree. Everything, this dark night, the conversation 
just before, the afternoon with Kossling, all made 
her suddenly so strangely weary and unhappy. She 
felt as though her joints were all poured out like 
water ; as if her limbs were only a helpless weight, 
and she cried and cried in a self-pity she herself 
could not explain. At last she got up and went 
to the window ; everything was now wrapped in dark- 
blue night, and only by slow degrees could her eye 
distinguish the distant roofs and the top of the tree 
standing out against the blue-black ground. Slowly, 
too, there appeared through the heavy mist one or 
two stars, trembling and flickering like bright pin¬ 
points, now here, now there. So far no one had 
come from the other room to fetch Hetty back ; she 
could only hear a loud excited conversation between 
her aunt and Uncle Jason, without being able to 
distinguish any separate words. She pressed her fore¬ 
head against the panes and lost herself in daydreams 
where everything was what she liked and desired. 
She had always had a gift for that. When anything 
went amiss she took refuge in a world of dreams 
and longings where all that happened fulfilled, and 
more than fulfilled, her every wish. 

At last Uncle Jason came and knocked at the 
door. Why was she stopping there in the dark?!— 
he wanted to say good night. And her aunt came 
too, to excu,se herself and explain she had not meant 
anything by what she said. 

But Hetty was not inclined to show her tear-stained 
face and did not open the door. She had to pack, 


HETTY GEYBERT 


149 


she said, and did her best to speak brightly and 
frankly. Besides, she had already taken off some of 
her things, so that she could not appear again. 

lAnd then she heard how Uncle Jason went slowly 
down the steps and how her aunt barred the front 
door., 

>“ Hetty,” Aunt Rika begged once more, “ do open 
your door.” 

Hetty quickly struck a light, lit her cajndle, and 
opened the door. 

Her aunt came in slowly, sat down on a chair, 
and looked irresolutely at Hetty, who had again taken 
u'p her position on the edge of the bed, nor did Aunt 
Rika seem to notice that Hetty Was still quite fully 
dressed. “ Now let me sit here for a bit, Hetty,” she 
began. “You see, you are always like this in a 
minute. I didn’t want you to take it like that. Of 
course I know you didn’t mean any harm, but it isn’t 
done. Don’t you understand people see you and it 
will be bad for you? You think it won’t, but I tell 
you 1 it will. .What’s the result? Gossip and scandal, 
I tell you. And now tell me something. What 
purpose is there in it ? What’s the good of it, and 
where will it lead to?” 

As Hetty did not answer—for her thoughts indeed 
were far away— Aunt Rika took her silence as agree¬ 
ment, so she got up, went over to Hetty and stroked 
her cheek. 

“ There, you see, I knew quite well you were 
reasonable.” 

Hetty, uhused as she was to such' marks of favour 
from Aunt Rika, was so astonished and delighted 
at the caress that she even took her aunt’s hand in 
hers and stroked and fondled it. That did her good, 
for indeed how small she felt all at once, helpless 
as a litde child. “‘Well, Hetty, now you must pack 
your things. Shall you really take all those "books 
of Jason’s with you? And I must just look to my 
own packing once more. Good night.” She turned 
round again as she went. “ Now see, ever since 


150 HETTY GEYBERT 

you have been in this house you have been a joy 
to us, and Heaven forbid it should be anything 
else until, with God’s help, you leave us as a 
bride.” 

Hetty was left alone ; the last words had shown 
her that her aunt’s tenderness had not been purely 
unpremeditated, an impulsive mark of heartfelt affection, 
but had been shown at the right place, after careful 
calculation. 

But now Hetty’s oppression and sadness were all 
gone, utterly disappeared, as if carried away on the 
wings of the wind, and in her sudden light-heartedness 
she trilled away like a bird in a tree ; she opened 
and shut drawer after drawer, and spread out every¬ 
thing neatly on the table—hair-nets, combs, hair-pins, 
ribbons, lace handkerchiefs, bead-embroidered reti¬ 
cules, sunshade, long gloves, the high-heeled grey 
low boots, the little box with letter paper, the plated 
travelling writing-case from Uncle Jason, the agate 
ornaments—and Heaven knows all else. And, as she 
did so, she sang alone songs that really wore not at 
all the kind for her—as, for instance, Nante’s as he 
takes his watch to the pawnshop and “ Combien je 
regrette,” which she had heard Jason sing—sang them 
so loud that at last Aunt Rika called to her that the 
night-watchman would come up if she did not stop 
soon. 

And for a long, long time no sleep would come 
to Hetty as she lay there, as gay as if some marvel 
of marvels had happened, and again and again she 
sent out her thoughts far afield to have them come 
back all laden with rare riches. 

* * * * * 

Outside it was a warm sultry night ; a night when 
the sap rose in every living plant and the last buds 
on the trees burst into leaf, when men’s blood ran 
hot and they were attracted by any fluttering skirt 
of which they caught but a distant glimpse in the 
darkness ; a night apparently full of mysterious voices 
and adventures, a night when the gas lamps in 


HETTY GEYBERT 151 

Konig Street flickered but feebly, as if they owned! 
her right to be for to-day, just for to-day, sole and 
absolute ruler. , 

Jason had no wish to go home yet to his house up 
in Kloster Street, where a little old housekeeper looked 
after him and his large bright rooms. No, he did 
not want to go there yet, and was equally un¬ 
willing to spend the next few hours in some drinking- 
shop or restaurant, so he went up and down Konig 
Street, loitered and strolled along, slowly and aimlessly, 
now alone with his thoughts and now following for 
a time some loving couple, to listen to their talk as 
far as he could catch it. Or he even steered his 
course after some rustling gown, not with any in¬ 
tention of forming a new acquaintance, but simply 
attracted by the perfume and by the charm that lies 
in a silent invitation, so much more subtle and delicate 
than can be found in the clumsy words of any open 
greeting. As he walked, his thoughts worked as 
busily as the sails of any wind-driven mill. Some¬ 
times he was at home, sometimes with Julius in the 
Orpheus, sometimes talking with Hetty and Kossling, 
or living once more portions of his later experiences, 
but certainly most often of all in silent talk with 
Kossling. 

And when under a far-distant lamp he saw a 
man standing, flourishing a thin little Walking-stick 
wildly and furiously in the air, as if shaking it in 
the whole world’s face, he was sure that it could be 
none other than Kossling. 

Kossling, however, had walked straight home ; that 
is, Jie could not have said whether he had walked, 
driven or flown. And at home he had, first of all, 
sat half an hour before the white cloth of his supper- 
table and looked at the ham, the sausage, the bread 
and butter with such' astonished curiosity as if he 
saw them to-day for the very first time. 

Then, when his landlady came in to clear away 
and asked if it had not been to his liking perhaps, 
he had assured her with a kindly smile that he thought 


152 


HETTY GEYBERT 


the weather heavenly, nor had he the least idea why 
the dignified old lady made such 1 a noisy exit at his 
ansiwer. Then he had taken Goethe’s poems from 
the bookcase and wondered what was the old gentle¬ 
man’s object in Writing such disconnected, senseless 
stuff when he might certainly have devoted his long 
life to some more useful occupation. Later on in 
his solitary game of chess—a means of distraction 
that, at other times, never failed him—immediately] 
after E2-E4, E7-E5, he had swept his men off with 
such impatience that they rolled away to the farthest 
corners of the room—and had, at last, taken his stand 
at the window, turned his back on the room’s half-< 
darkness and fixed his eyes on the sky, still light 
with its pale green and white behind the poplars. 
Whilst from overhead a thick warm mantle of blue 
darkness c&me slowly down like some protecting hand 
to set free all that was burdened and oppressed, all 
secret unfulfilled desires. And now Kossling had 
been for a full hour and a half rushing through the 
streets like a blind madman—now when flourishing 
his cane he ran straight into Jason Geybert’s arms. 

'“Halloa!” Jason called out gaily, “what’s the 
matter, Doctor? You are surely thinking of taking 
up this very day the post of fencing-master at the 
University. But stop for a moment, I beg of you, 
your sublime career.” 

“Herr Jason Geybert, is it surely? Do I meet 
the master here? At home he is seldom to be found ; 
at Steheli’s never.” 

Jason Geybert laughed. “ Now tell me, Doctor, 
what has happened? You too seem to be somewhat 
on the prowl to-day. So what is the news? Has 
your epoch-making iambic drama Clotilde von 
Helfenstein been accepted? Or has your allowance 
from home been doubled? Or—whht else is it?” 

“ Oh no, Herr Geybert,” Kossling said, planting 
himself with legs apart in front of Uncle Jason. 
The worthy Clotilde lies still in deep slumber on the 
other side of nowhere ; but as regards the increase 


HETTY GEYBERT 


153 


in allowance you are not entirely wrong. Only it 
consists of that excellent sum whjich always remains 
the same whether counted in copper, silver, or gold, 
or doubled, trebled, or multiplied a hundredfold. No, 

I rejoice at meeting you, for I was thinking of 
strewing ashes on my head and smiting. my breast 
because I thought you had sailed sans adieux to the 
island of Cythera.” , 

** Yes,” answered Jason, chuckling to himself, but 
the worst of it is that we always find ourselves back 
in this world again. But, Kossling, am I really the 
sole cause of your cuts and tierces, your feints and 

thrusts ? ” , ,, 

Kossling was somewhat taken aback. Almost, 
he answered ; and then, as if just remembering quite 
an indifferent matter : “ Stop though—I was to give 

you someone's love.” 

“ I would not use such ordinary words, so shah 
we simply say someone of feminine gender?” 

‘‘However do you know that? 

“ Now, how do you think, Kossling ? 

“ From her Uncle Eli? ” 

” No.” 

‘‘Then from your sister-in-law, of course? 

“ Not that either.” 

“ Then perhaps from the lady herself? ” 

“ Look at that now ; what a clever guess to be 
sure ; you met my niece Hetty to-day, Kossling, 
by accident, quite by accident; she told me so.” 

“ Yes ; just think how lucky I was, Kossling 
exclaimed in a voice certainly loud enough to be 
heard on the other side of the street, and Jason, m 
spite of the darkness, saw how his eyes lit up with 

J ° y Well then, their meeting had been accidental, 
entirely accidental—that was what he wanted to know, 
and he was now satisfied. What could he possibly 
sav against it? He was glad, too, it was so, for 
he would have found his r 61 e a difficult one under 
any other circumstances. 


154 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ Well, Kossling, what do you propose doing for 
the rest of the day? Are you going home to finish 
your poem Celestine?— 

"My maiden Celestine, 

With gay and roguish mien, 

Hear, how thine Edgar calls ! 

“ Do I look like that? ’’ 

“ Then to Drucker’s, Louis Drucker’s, Doctor.’’ 

“Too noisy for me to-day, dear Herr Geybert. 
I want to be quiet. Is there nowhere out of doors 
where we can discuss literature and the eternities ?j ’’ 

“ Stop !—I know, I know ; ’’ and Jason Geybert took 
Kossling’s arm and marched him off into the warm 
darkness of the spring night, singing as he went 
one of his own paraphrases of the air in Don Juan , 
whilst Kossling walked along in silent happiness.; 

And when the two had got to the corner of Kloster 
Street a great vehicle tightly packed with a gay 
company of young men and women drove past them. 

It was utterly impossible to tell how many were 
really in and on the coach, all squeaking, gabbling, 
grunting as they were. Jason answered the jokes 
cast at him with others quite as broad, for he was 
rather proud of the way he could tackle impertinence, 
and was in his element in any gay frolic. As he 
looked up, however, he saw on the box, wedged in 
between the driver and a tall red-haired person in 
a pale-blue cotton frock—saw to his astonishment 
and his delight—the new cousin Julius, who was really 
no cousin at all. 

He had stuck a wine-bottle on the end of his 
walking-stick and was waving it in the air, at the 
same time bawling at the top of his voice. 

“Kossling! Kossling! Hetty is quite right, quite 
> he 11 'make his way, and he has certainly 
got the list from the waiter.’’ 

“ What’s that about Hetty, what’s that?’’ 

“ Oh, come now—that’s family business ;’’ and Jason 
Geybert dragged him on. 


HETTY GEYBERT 155 

And now he had got as far as Armida in his 
repertoire of songs. 

Frau Konnecke’s house had but six windows in 
its breadth, and was one-storied only, with a sloping 
brown roof with broad curves, out of which peeped 
the round black eyes of the garret windows. The 
house was quite overshadowed by trees ; first came 
four rows of old limes that, at this season, with their 
broad fanlike leaves of limp green silk paper still 
let through the sun’s rays and allowed them to paint 
a golden network on the gravel path. These great 
trees, with their black trunks and yellow-green foliage, 
looking down with pity on the little house, came 
first, and then behind the green wooden fence and 
creaking gate lay the little front garden, wild, 
cramped and overgrown. 

Lilac-bushes and laburnum-trees leant against the 
house-wall as if they wanted to push it out of the 
way with their shoulders, and the hawthorn hedges 
ran along as if they really must look in at the 
windows and not let anything that happened inside 
escape their notice. And even if you went up the 
few steps to the little wooden platform and roof 
that formed a tiny place to wait and rest outside the 
front door your feet were brushed by branches of 
privet. The tiny grass plots, the little black border 
full of hyacinths, and the fat globe-shaped mirror 
that wherever you stood gave the reflection of a 
miniature wilderness under a sky of blue—-all these 
were entirely shut in by bushes that seemed to allow 
them standing room on sufferance only. 

On the left-hand side Frau Konnecke lived with 
her host of children. Her husband had long since 
been purely legendary. Had he died yesterday or ten 
years ago ? Was he coming back that very evening ? 
No one heard a word about him. 

On the right of the door the Geyberts had rented 
the two front and the one back room, with the kitchen 
belonging to them and an attic for the maid. 

Hetty’s window looked straight on to the hyacinth 


150 


HETTY GEYBERT 


bed and the mirror globe. The walls of her room 
were coloured blue with a silver band along the top, 
the window-frames were white and hung with neatly 
looped-up muslin curtains, and in the corner stood a 
round white plaster stove. Yet it was impossible to 
think that anyone could use the room in the winter. 
The little place was so exactly fitted for the spring 
with its scanty furniture of polished birch wood ; in 
the spring it was filled with the chirping and twittering 
of the birds right up to the corner by the s.ove, and 
the walls seemed to have caught some of the bright¬ 
ness of the sky’s delicate blue. 

In summer, when the foliage was darker, thicker, 
and more luxuriant, then the room was just the spot 
for pleasant meditation and retirement, and the blue 
walls seemed to breathe out silent, cool refreshment. 
In autumn, when the foliage was thin and scanty, 
hanging yellow, brown and purple in the blue air, 
even then a few forgotten dreams of the singing of 
birds seem to have taken refuge here ; but in winter 
when every post puts on a snow cap, when the bushes 
hold with thousands of delicate fingers the soft white 
flakes caught by the boughs and branches, and when 
white roof and white sky meet in a never-ending 
embrace, then the thought—and the thought alone— 
of this bright blue room with its silver line and its 
yellow birch furniture is enough to make one cold 
and sad. 

But this was not the case with the aunt’s room ad¬ 
joining. This was a really cosy winter corner, with 
its two windows, its dark mahogany furniture, the 
rich tone of terra-cotta on the walls and the brightly 
painted scrolls over both beds—Bacchantes playing 
with panthers—a symbolism that certainly seemed 
somewhat out of place here. And then across the 
hall was the room looking out to the back, with 
simple, white walls, a few high-backed chairs, a table, 
a dresser, and some china in a corner cupboard. Here 
Hetty and her aunt had their meals. It was never 
really light, but bathed all spring and summer in the 


157 


HETTY GEYBERT 

pale-green shade of the broad-leaved chestnuts that 
grew in the courtyard and tapped the window-panes 
with their branches. Not until autumn, when the 
summer visitors had gone, did the floor, ceiling and 
walls escape from this close green veil to shiver in 
the white light that filtered through the bare black 
branches, whilst in the evenings the red sky peeped 
through their clearly marked network into the quiet 
little room. 

But it was not for these few rooms that any¬ 
one came to Charlottenburg—to Frau Konnecke— 
especially to Frau Konnecke ; they were only an 
extra, a decent shelter for nights and* for rainy 
days. Nor did the house in any way give itself 
the airs of a Berlin dwelling which, however small 
it was, always proclaimed : “ Here I am.” No, 

no, there it stood, so lost in dreams and so silent 
with its draped white curtains amidst all the green 
that surrounded it on every side. The limes by the 
front door and the chestnuts in the courtyard at the 
back extended their arms across the roof, and stretched 
out friendly hands to each other. 

It was for the garden in front, the courtyard, the 
long narrow back garden, and for these alone, that 
visitors came here. A few wooden steps led straight 
into the back garden so to speak, for even the court¬ 
yard was full of chestnut-trees with their great smooth 
black trunks that so soon ended in inviting leafy 
crowns. Now as Hetty came out—although it was but 
very few days since the buds had cast off their dark 
sticky covering—they were already lifting their broad, 
green fingers to the sun, and the stiff brown flower 
stalks were dotted over with little white knobs that 
would develop, on the morrow maybe, into white 
candles, to shine with a strangely dreamy light amongst 
the green on the long spring evenings and far into 
the night itself. 

It was hard to say where the court ended and the 
garden began ; a low hedge and then nothing but 
green. There was even a little hill as well as inter- 


158 


HETTY GEYBERT 


secting paths twisting and turning in curves and round 
corners^; the garden boasted, too, three or four arbours 
hidden away under hawthorns and wild prunus ; acacias 
and elms, ash-trees and maples, spread their branches 
in friendly comradeship overhead. And even nightin¬ 
gales poured forth their notes in the overgrown bushes 
that bounded the adjoining land. 

iWhen Hetty sat in the summer-house the finches 
came and pecked between the planks of the wooden 
floor, and if she looked up by chance she would be 
sure to catch sight of some dark thrush on the 
path with a long worm twisting and turning in 
his beak. The^ thrush, however, did not trouble 
about that, but stood there meditating for all the 
world like some old philosopher. That is the kind 
of garden it was. 

But this was by no means all, for beyond the high 
tree-tops, beyond the cool shade, only crossed here 
and there by sunny streaks of light, lay the orchard 
with its tiny narrow paths, where the raspberry-canes 
peeped into Hetty’s face and the gooseberry-bushes 
laid detaining fingers on her skirt, where the straw¬ 
berry plants crept over the beds with their luxuriant 

leaves close round the old knotted trunks, split and 

gummy, of the fruit-trees that grew there, short, 

crooked, bent, but sending far and wide boughs 
laden with fruit-buds into the constant flood of 

sunshine. 

They were now in full blossom ; the peach, indeed, 
was nearly over, and dropping clouds of rosy blossoms 
that edged every path with a line of tender pink petals. 
The cherry-trees stretched up their arms, sturdy and 
stout as any man’s, to pour forth a blessing on every 
side from its branches covered with pure white 
blossoms like dazzling silver. And plums, apples and 
pears were only just beginning, timidly putting out 
from dark boughs and scanty leaves tiny knobs and 
buds, tinted white, or palest pink and blue. 

In the orchard little spots could be found where 
everything but blossom disappeared, where you would 


HETTY GEYBERT 159 

nevei guess that such things as houses, green trees 
or streets existed ; where you could only see blue 
sky crossed and touched by blossoming boughs ; 
where the only sounds left of this world were the 
humming of the bees, the flight of a butterfly, and 
the chirp in an old pear-tree of a little tit husband;' 
and wife. 

That was the kind of orchard this was! 

But if Hetty walked to the end of it she came to 
a hedge and wooden fence. On the other side of 
these lay a sandy road with deep cart-ruts, and beyond, 
a different world ; damp, yellow meadows and fields 
of black, heavy soil, stretching down to the Spree, 
that crept lazily along in wide curves between low- 
lying marshes and tiny woods, until it was lost to 
sight behind the luxuriant foliage of the Castle Park 
and the old poplars on its opposite bank. 

Here, in this garden, Hetty was sole and absolute 
ruler. Here, for hours together, she could walk along 
the paths or sit in the wooden summer-house to read, 
knit, sing her soft song, or do nothing—and only 
need to move a litde to one side when the sun shone 
on her book. Hetty did not shun her fellows, but 
she did not need them, and was quite happy without 
their company. Here she w^as quite undisturbed by 
them, safe indeed from every noise. The children 
played in the courtyard, and the trees and bushes 
softened and intercepted the sound of their voices. 
Frau Konnecke herself only entered the garden in the 
very early morning and late afternoon to hoe, rake 
and water ; she hated the garden indeed, because 
it made more work for her, and in her eyes a branch 
of cherry blossom was no revelation of the beauty 
everywhere, but only a promise of harvest and expec¬ 
tation of a silver groschen in the future. 

For the stout, worthy Frau Konnecke was, to hear 
her speak, a jewel amongst women, but in reality 
greedy of gain, scratching and scraping like any hen 
for every farthing. 

Hetty was not disturbed in her self-chosen solitude 


160 HETTY GEYBERT 

by even her aunt, who never entered the garden, 
although she told everyone, at great length, of its 

wonders. In the mornings she took the coach to 

Berlin whenever it went, for she had long wanted 
to buy a new wrap, and had been for weeks on the 
look-out for this calf with five legs. But since the 
circle of Berlin shop's that she could still enter on 
this errand without meeting with an unpleasant re¬ 
ception grew daily smaller and smaller, there was, 
at any rate, some prospect of an end to these morning 
journeys to town. But it was quite impossible to 

hazard any opinion as to when her afternoon ex¬ 

cursions would cease, for then she alternated between 
Muskov’s Coffee Gardens, the Turkish Tent, Madame 
Pauli’s, and even The Tents and The Court Huntsman 
simply to hear music and to see folk as she knitted 
and drank a cup of coffee. She felt she must see 
people-lots of people, both friends and strangers. 
She could not endure even a single day when she did 
not, at least once, hear the buzz and movement of the 
crowded streets—it was a necessity for her—and a 
necessity, too, if Hetty accompanied her, to talk behind 
the back of every passer-by, and to subject his walk, 
dress, previous life and finances to criticism. This 
she did with a shrewd loquacity which at first was 
amusing, but when endlessly continued became deadly 
wearisome. But as soon as Hetty stayed at home and 
Aunt Rika had no one else to whom she could confide 
her criticisms, then she faithfully stored them up 
in her memory, and when she got home, filled to over¬ 
flowing with news and litde incidents, she would not 
rest nor go to bed until she had relieved her mind 
to Hetty about the newest gown of strawberry lustre 
with three wide Russian green flounces that she had 
seen Janey Simon wearing, although in her opinion 
she might have had something better to do. 

At first, too, Hetty was but seldom disturbed by 
acquaintances, for scarcely anyone came out from 
Berlin yet, and it was still too early in the year for 
summer lodgings. , * 


HETTY GEYBERT 161 

Jason never made his appearance, and only some¬ 
times wrote a few lines to Hetty, assuring her how 
hard at work he was in the business, and at the 
same time declaring that he would like to come 
out, but that his spare time was so extraordinarily, 
taken up by new studies, although the nature of these 
new studies he did not confide to his niece Hetty. 

Uncle Solomon wrote from Karlsbad long cheerful 
letters in his clear business hand with the beautiful 
long s’s of which he was so proud. He was one 
of those people who let themselves go whenever they 
write letters, so that in his, his old temperament re¬ 
appeared, and he showed that ready wit and clever¬ 
ness which, in the course of his long married life, 
had taken to themselves wings, or at any rate never 
ventured to appear if he but scented his wife within 
thirty feet of him. 

Mail-day was a festival for the two in Ch'arlotten- 
burg, and Aunt Rika never failed to take the letter 
with her in the afternoon, on the chance of reading 
it to any acquaintance she might happen to meet. 
For it was her nature in public to laud to the skies 
what at home she criticised and belittled—and possibly 
she really was proud of it. Everything went on as 
usual in Janey’s establishment, only Wolfgang looked 
very pale and had a cough, so that perhaps he ought 
to begin at once and come out for Saturdays and 
Sundays to them in Charlottenburg, but they would 
wait another week and see. It was Ferdinand’s busiest 
time now, and everything was very brisk. 

The new cousin Julius had soon left “ The Golden 
Buck ” and gone to respectable people in Kloster Street 
to look round for a suitable site for his new business, 
but could find none in wretched Berlin. Whilst 
waiting he was making himself a little useful in the 
firm of Solomon Geybert & Co., and Jason, in his 
letters, spoke of him as a quick and cautious young 
man, a testimonial which, however flattering to the 
new cousin, yet said nothing of his business efficiency. 

But of Kossling Hetty heard nothing. 

11 


162 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Outside, Spring was coming. Those who lived 
in Berlin indeed only saw her outriders and stray 
messengers, but the two in Charlottenburg had her in 
person with all her smiles and blossoms. No sooner 
did Hetty feel that Spring could really offer no more, 
nor add anything fresh to her wealth of beauty, the 
very next morning she brought an apronful of new 
surprises, like the attentive, indefatigable lover that 
she was. To begin with, she had offered tiny blue 
flowers amongst the withered leaves in the shade of 
the summer-house ; then suddenly they were whisked 
away, to be replaced by luxuriant growth of green 
foliage, and though 1 the few patches of white 
anemones—blushing a rosy pink as if they found the 
sun too warm 1 —soon disappeared, in their stead the 
shining, curled leaves of the lilies of the valley pushed 
up every day a little higher. 

And the gooseberries had barely lost their blossoms 
when others were hanging on the currant-bushes. 
Then came the little red-tipped honeysuckle and the 
lilac sheltering against the house in her violet frock, 
and between these—a few days after the first—tempted 
by a moist warm evening air, the stiff laburnum stems 
put out waving, fluttering, yellow flags in its golden 
chains of hanging blossom. And as if there was 
still not enough colour, the chestnuts in the yard and 
away over the house and its sloping roof of brown 
tiles, lit up their candles that threw their white radiance 
far into the night, and the red hawthorn in the 
garden, with its old twisted stems, away on the edge 
of the orchard, drew down from the sky above the most 
fiery of the sunset clouds to wrap around its branches. 

Every day something new came, and every day 
something old disappeared, quite unnoticed, as a guest 
slips away from a gay gathering and it is not till 
hours later that someone says : “ Why, surely he must 
have gone.” 

To-day the lilac-bushes that sent out clouds of 
perfume into Hetty’s room seemed to have opened 
their last sprays, but to-morrow it was evident that 


HETTY GEYBERT 163 

only then were they quite enveloped in blossoms* 
and that yesterday they had but worn a thin blue 
embroidered garment. And further, when they tossed 
their little blue stars in handfuls on the path, the side 
entrance, the wooden steps, they showed no thinning 
of their abundant blossoms, only the colour of the 
bushes faded slowly from the deep blue of violets 
to the pale pinkish blue of half-faded forget-me-nots. 

And the quiet blue days were followed by long 
yearning evenings, when the sun set reluctantly and 
for hours and hours after the sky was still bright 
and patterned with a strange play of colour,,; often it 
was bridged by long banks of red clouds, or again 
crossed by quite narrow lines that stood stiff and 
motionless in the sea-green ether, to disappear at last, 
to fade into nothing, their going and coming alike 
mysterious. And at no hour of the night were the 
tops of the trees lost in the darkness overhead, all 
their shape hidden in night’s enveloping mantle, as 
they were after the sultry summer days. No, when¬ 
ever Hetty went to her window again a strange un¬ 
defined light like a bright edge still lay over every 
tree, and only above and beyond that the arch of 
night’s dark sky with its weary, fading stars. 

And very early, with the first white light, long 
before the sun himself appeared, the birds grew lively 
in trees and hedges, and wakened Hetty with the gay 
chorus of their voices. The finches from the lime- 
tree and the thrush that had his home over in the 
next garden on the top of a dark arbor-vitas, the 
oriole creeping through the gardens, the sparrows on 
the roof, and the starlings on the lawn—one and all 
in the first weeks drove sleep far from Hetty’s eyes 
with their unwonted music in heaven’s earliest dawn. 
Indeed, to begin with, they even roused her from her 
bed and brought her to the window in her white cap 
and bedjacket, refreshed and yet a little chilled by the 
cool damp morning air striking against her skin, still 
warm from sleep, to listen for no short time as they 
greeted and answered each other in all their varying 


164 HETTY GEYBERT 

notes and tones from this side and that, from here 
and there, from the chestnuts in the court at the 
back, from all the different gardens and bushes. But 
as weeks went on she only heard their outpourings as 
in a jdream, in a light pale slumber under a thin cover¬ 
let. And at last she grew to wonder why the birds 
would no longer sing as loud as once they did to 
awaken her heart with their gay notes. But changed 
times had come by then. 

Two, three Sundays came and went. Each came 
with a quiet morning peace, somehow different from 
other days, though no one could quite say how. But 
even the doves sitting on the roof, preening their 
feathers, seemed to know instinctively that this day 
was not the same as yesterday or the day before. 
And the Sundays went in the noise and dust of crowds 
of Sunday visitors and excursionists pouring back in 
an overwhelming stream to the Brandenburg Gate 
from public gardens, coffee-rooms, the Castle Park 
and the heath. A wide chain of gigs, landaulettes, 
broad victorias, tilburys, public coaches, and spring- 
carts crept slowly along the high road in a cloud of 
dust. And alongside of them, almost keeping up 
with the horses, flowed a gay stream of foot-passengers. 
How they shouted and laughed, calling out to one 
and another ; and many a rich man driving in his 
carriage came in for an impudent or rough remark 
from the walkers, and had to accept it with the best 
grace he could. Whole groups of them sang new 
street songs, such as The Pot o’ Beans or the one 
about the broth. The men smoked long Virginia cigars, 
and soldiers in any number marched along with their 
cook sweethearts in their shawls and shady hats as 
fine as any ladies ; mothers of families pushed per¬ 
ambulators in front of them, whilst the fathers did 
their best to keep in some sort of order girls in 
flounced outstanding petticoats, carrying their cresset 
lanterns in careful little hands, and boys with their 
waving paper flags. 

There seemed no end, literally no end to them, 


HETTY GEYBERT 


165 


until, at last, when the evening shadows were growing 
very long, the stream became less and less full and 
gradually dribbled away, until in the end the whole 
world had reverted to its state in the Garden of 
Eden, and humanity was only to be found in couples, 
in the hundreds of lovers walking along in the shelter 
of the limes. 

Hetty watched from her window how they avoided, 
as far as they could, the scanty light of the oil lamps, 
and hastened past to reach once more the purple 
darkness, where they thought their tender embraces 
would escape unnoticed by curious eyes. 

And then, when at last all was quiet once more, 
and Hetty went to bed on these Sundays, she was 
depressed and sad to tears, although she could not 
have said why. 

She was anxious to make a journey now to the 
town, to the business, to visit Jason, from whom she 
hoped to hear something of Dr. Kossling. But she 
would be afraid to ask Jason, and did not know 
whether he would begin to speak of Kossling un¬ 
asked. Then, too, in these days of blossom out in 
the country, Hetty was overcome by such a feeling 
of lethargy that it was hard to make up her mind to 
any decisive step. Nor had she any longing for 
Berlin ; the most she ever did was to go as far as 
the Tents and catch sight through the trees of the 
distant Brandenburg Gate. At other times she only 
went with her book to the Castle Park, and in some 
strange mood sought the little official’s house, standing 
silent and golden amid the dark yew-trees. Or she 
would wander slowly round the pond, right and left 
along the shady narrow paths amongst the bushes 
on its banks, and at last sit down where the little 
bell for the fish hung on the railing, on the bench 
with its back covered with initials, names and hearts. 
For read what book she might, Hetty could never 
keep her thoughts fixed on it for long, but away they 
soon went, dancing and fluttering in the distance like 
the stray white butterflies that she saw in the sun- 


166 


HETTY GEYBERT 


shine visiting the kingcups on the surface of the 
dark waters, only to hover over some pale blossom 
looking up from its dark sunlit home before it went 
farther afield once more. 

Such beautiful quiet sunny days these were, yet 
entirely filled with a quiver of suppressed excitement. 
Hetty could not remember such ever before in her 
life ; everything seemed entirely changed. She often 
tried to compare these days with 1 those she had spent 
here in earlier times—for this was not the first stay 
she had made out here—but she could not remember 
anything about them, not a thing. They were as 
if wiped out of her memory ; all that remained 
was the present day and hours with their hidden 
possibilities and their quiver of suppressed excite¬ 
ment. . . . 

One morning there had fallen a few heavy drops 
of rain through the warm, damp air, and everything 
by the wayside or in the garden stood revelling in 
the refreshing moisture. 

Aunt Rika, who could not endure Charlottenburg 
in the wet, had driven to her sister Janey’s in the 
town. One driver always took her for less, because 
she drove so often and, as he said, because he wanted 
to keep her custom. So for to-day Hetty was sole 
mistress of house and garden. 

She was sitting at her window above the lilacs, 
whose sweet scent flooded her room and cast many 
a glance at the dripping limes, from which little balls 
of water, impelled by their own weight, alone rolled 
slowly down from branch to branch and from leaf 
to leaf, until at last they splashed on to the sand 
below. Hetty was busy with beadwork for the front 
of a handbag which she had almost finished. A 
border encircled a bank on which sat a shepherdess 
in a yellow dress ; at her side stood a blue shepherd, 
and behind them a green round tree-stump. It was 
almost quite finished, even to the grey background 
of sky. It was only the right-sized pink beads for 
the lady’s mouth and the black for her eyes that 


167 


HETTY GEYBERT 

Hetty could not find. For half an hour already she 
had poked about with' her fine needle in the card¬ 
board box on the window-ledge in front of her, holding 
up to the light such a pink or black little bead, 
only to find it unworthy and to let it drop back to 
its brothers in the box. And as she was examining 
the tenth bead, only to find it too big—for a shep¬ 
herdess could not have a mouth like a cheap jack or 
a market salesman—she chanced to look over the 
little bit of pink glass and saw someone far offi 
coming up the path, right away under the trees. Then 
an unexpected movement of Hetty’s hand dropped 
the cover with the beads, that scattered all over the 
floor and hopped away into every corner ; indeed, many 
of them were quite unable to stop, and rolled like 
mad things up and down between the boards. And 
as Hetty stooped down to get them she grew hotter 
and hotter with the blood running into her head. 
As she had no wish to appear with a red face, she 
decided to let beads be beads, and took her stand 
by the open window. And there was Kossling at 
the garden gate, casting very doubtful glances at the 
little house and uncertain whether he should ring or 
not. He was quite sunburnt, flushed with walking, 
and Hetty had to be the first to call out. “ Yes, 
Doctor,” she cried, and her voice had quite regained 
its firm, gay notes, “ this is really where you want 
to come if I am not mistaken.” 

Heavens above, how Kossling started I 

“ Ah, there you are, Fraulein Hetty ; the whole way 
I have been afraid you would not be at home. Perhaps 
you might just have driven into Berlin, for I am not 
one of the luckiest as a rule.” 

f* Are you going to stay out there all the time, 
Doctor? ” 

“ A little longer ; you are standing in such a 
charming frame of lilacs and laburnums, Fraulein 
Hetty ; at home we have a picture of a girl standing 
at the window feeding a bird, and that is just what 
you look like. I have just seen it again!” 



168 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ When were you at home, then, Doctor?’" 

“ Just lately—only a couple of weeks ago—I 
wanted—well, I’ll tell you that later.’’ 

“Is Frau Geybert at home too?” 

“ She is in Berlin.” 

“ Oh, what a pity !” And the exclamation came 
from his heart. Won’t you come out, then, for a 
little and let us go into the Castle Park together?!” 

“ Why won’t you come in, then? ” 

“Well, do you think I might?” 

“I will consider and weigh this matter carefully. 
This room is my most sacred domain, and not to be 
entered by you—the dining-room is neutral ground 
for quite a short stay, and the garden is in the same 
category as the Castle Park. If, however, you wish 
to visit the latter, I am at your service as guide, for 
I know it by heart in and out.” 

Whilst she was speaking Kossling had entered the 
garden, and still stood in shy hesitation on the little 
wooden steps leading to the door. Up above, Frau 
Konnecke’s ample form appeared in the vicinity of a 
window as the lady pressed an inquiring nose against 
the panes. 

To the accompaniment of a double peal—for under 
the plank in the wooden floor outside the door there 
was a treacherous bell, and the opening of the door 
also set going another shrill ring-a-ting, ting—Hetty 
and Kossling advanced towards each other in the 
half-dark passage that was only crossed by the bright 
rays that filtered in from the window at the back. 
And with the opening of the door all the sultry heat 
of a damp spring afternoon penetrated in a moment 
into the cool quietness of the house. 

Hetty stretched out her hand to Kossling ; neither 
of them really knew what to do next, and it was 
only the rattling at the peep-hole in the white door 
leading to the kitchen domains that made them both 
start. 

“ I thought you would come before this.” 

“Oh, did you think so? Yes, yes, and I really 


HETTY GEYBERT 


169 


meant to—you see that, don’t you? But I thought if 
I came at once I should be in the way. And then I 
rushed home, helter-skelter all of a sudden. I wanted 
to write, of course—and I have written, too, several 
times—but then I didn’t send it off, as I didn’t know 
if you would like it.” 

“Why shouldn’t I like it?” asked Hetty, with a 
slight flush and quiet smile that held Kossling’s eyes 
as if by magic. 

Good heavens, how beautiful the girl was, with all 
the charm of a summer’s day ! She wore her abundant 
hair in three thick plaits, her shoulders were bare 
under an openwork tippet with a narrow edging of 
swansdown, and her gown quite simple with its close- 
fitting bodice and full outstanding skirt of bright 
French lawn, with narrow violet stripes that trembled 
in all their length at every one of Hetty’s movements. 

.‘‘Where shall we go?” Hetty asked. ‘‘Doctor, 
will you enter our summer residence—or shall we go 
straight into the garden?” 

‘‘Which would you prefer, Fraulein Hetty? I 
would like to go straight to the garden.”' 

“ Good, I will fetch my hat,” Hetty said, and went. 
Then back she came with a little bag in her hand 
and her straw hat hanging by its strings of broad 
violet ribbon from her arm. 

“ Did you see in the front how full of flower my 
lilac still is ? There is not another in the road that 
has kept in bloom so long. At night, when the 
windows are shut, it literally makes one’s head ache. 

As they stepped out into the courtyard the broad 
chestnut leaves rattled and drummed each quite in¬ 
dependently, and the sun breaking through the clouds 
dried with a laugh the moisture from the edges of 
the shining leaves. 

“ Look, the garden begins here and goes right 
far back. Here is my summer-house. Shall we sit 
down for a little now or wait till later? But, Doctor, 
you must tell me something!” 

What should he tell her, then? On his way here 


170 


HETTY GEYBERT 


he had known all he meant to say, the whole time 
he had been talking to Hetty so intently that, in the 
Zoological Gardens, he had all but run down an old 
gentleman. For weeks he had spoken to no one 
but her, and now he could not utter a single syllable. 

He had not had the slightest intention of coming 
here ; he had meant, indeed, not to see her again;, 
he had only gone out for a walk, and now, here he 
was in the garden by her side, quite alone with her, 
and only the voices of the birds surrounded them 
from the wet glistening bushes. 

He had not meant to see her again ; he had gone 
home to find out if there was any place for him, 
and then he would come back a different man. But 
things had not turned out so ; he had avoided every¬ 
thing that reminded him of her, he had not once 
been to see Jason, who had twice even sent a street 
messenger to him with a mock sentimental note, and 
yet, at every hour of the day, she had been his only 
companion—and now he was actually walking by her 
side once more. ' 

“ No, you tell me first and then I will begin. Whiat 
is your uncle doing? ” 

“ He has been in Karlsbad and is quite well again. 
To-day he is to be in Leipzig, where he has some 
business, and next week he is coming back. I am 
looking forward to that, for though I cannot say I 
get on badly with Aunt Rika, yet I feel more attracted 
by Uncle. Women really always have too many bad 
qualities.” 

I couldn’t say that.” 

“ Yes, yes, they have. Taken all through, I think 
they are inferior in character to men.” 

” But not you,” Kossling said as solemnly as if 
taking an oath. i 

“ Now, Doctor, why should I alone be different 
from the others? ” 

“I do not know, Fraulein Hetty, and I never try 
to find out. I only know that you are. Every miracle 
is lost when we begin to try to find a solution ; we 


HETTY GEYBERT 171 

must just accept it.” The serious way in which Koss- 
ling said this amused Hetty. 

‘‘ Yes, now you are laughing, but you know if I 
were not firmly convinced that you ...” Here he 
broke off. 

“ What then ? ” 

But Kossling was not to be persuaded to express his 
further thoughts, and so for a little time they both 
walked in silence under the dripping trees, along the 
paths that now and again showed broad patches of 
bright, hot sunshine. On little patches of grass and 
in the damp withered leaves under the bushes, thrushes 
gathered in numbers in search of the plentiful worms 
venturing out of the wet earth, and the big dark birds 
only stopped in their occupation to look after the two 
with half-mistrustful, half-angry glances, as if asking 
why they came there to disturb them. 

The rain had brought down a whole cloud of white 
acacia blossoms and swept them to the edge of the 
paths in broad lines of foam, and now, when the 
moisture had all been drunk by the thirsty soil, they 
lay there, every calyx still holding its drop of water. 
And fresh blossoms were continually dropping into the 
bushes, on to the grass, besprinkling the path with 
silver sparks that might have been blown over from 
some distant fireworks. 

If you looked up high, you could see the tops of 
the trees heavy with their weight of white blossoms, 
standing out like white clouds between the green limes 
and elms on a sky of marvellous clear bright blue, just 
that pure shade only to be seen on such a late spring! 
afternoon, when earth and sky have been cleansed by 
showers of rain. 

Hetty and Kossling walked on side by side under 
the tall trees out into the orchard, where the pink and 
white blossoms had long since been lost in the wealth of 
shining foliage, and only one old pear-tree still showed 
a few late white buds amongst its green leaves. But 
instead, the ground was strewn with starry white straw¬ 
berry flowers, looking up bright-eyed into the blue 


172 HETTY GEYBERT 

above ; indeed, they were just as white as the few 
strange little circles of snowy cloud taking their 
radiant way across the sky in gay unconcern. 

Between the beds the paths were so narrow that 
Hetty and Kossling had to walk one behind the other. 
The gooseberry-bushes and the slender, swaying rasp¬ 
berry-canes seized hold of Hetty’s skirts, so that she 
drew them closely together round her ankles. Kossling 
walked behind her, just in her footsteps, and through 
the open edges of her shawl he could see—marked out 
in little pink portions—Hetty’s broad, queenly shoulders 
and the spring of her neck ; he could not tear his 
eyes from these bright patterns, and her skin, like 
living mother-of-pearl, struck him as akin to the proud 
petals on the pear-tree’s curved branches. 

All this delicate fresh beauty of garden and spring- 
tide was to him but an embodiment of Hetty herself. 
Every tree, every bush, the trellis-work, the ivy-covered 
wall bounding the next garden, the dark recesses 
of the summer-house, the distance, with its rows 
of trees beyond the yellow meadows—all this was 
only created to set off Hetty’s beauty as she passed 
along in her light dress, stepping so lightly, so proud 
and incomparable—her head thrown back a little, like 
all the Geyberts. As they walked, Kossling had 
already taken her hand once—he did not know him¬ 
self how he came to do it—but she had withdrawn it 
from his grasp. 

What did they talk about then? About nothing at 
all, about the strawberries and gooseberries, and whether 
they would soon be ripe. They were pleased to show 
each other the yellow and black flies hovering with 
whirring wings in the air above the raspberry-canes. 
Hetty told him that away here in the summer there 
would bloom hollyhocks, prince’s feathers, dahlias, 
jalap and lobelias—she had made inquiries—and that 
this delicate white cloud floating through the air so 
quietly and so happily was from the big poplar stand¬ 
ing over there with one branch struck by lightning ; 
and that in the evening there were so many different 


HETTY GEYBERT 173 

perfumes and colours that it was quite uncanny—she 
really could not put it into words. 

Then Kossling began to speak, in an eager, unbroken 
flow of words, and by degrees Hetty grew more and 
more silent. 

At first he talked about his journey and of the great 
changes he had found at home. His sisters had grown 
up and were at work or married. His brothers were at 
trades and had looked askance at him because he was 
not earning so much as they were, especially one who 
was getting on exceedingly well. The town was beauti¬ 
ful with an old-world air even in everyday life, a 
real poet’s corner as he felt now. Everything was so 
quiet and lived only in memories of the past. But he 
could not live there yet ; he would like to go to Paris 
now—he needed active movement, he needed many 
men, many minds, growth, intercourse. 

He would go there sometime, if he could only live 
on his interest ; to-day he had to encroach on capital. 
He would come to utter poverty at home ; of course 
he was not speaking of money, but sometime he must 
go out into the strain and stress of life. He should 
like to know first what he had to do here—for, to be 
quite honest, he couldn’t quite make out. 

Perhaps it was always like that here, and perhaps no 
one really knew what part he was to play in this 
carnival. 

Often he thought that he was m the world to look 
about a little, to write a few verses and to tell a few 
tales. But then again, this all seemed so worthless and 
he felt as if his life belonged to humanity as a whole. 
Then again he thought that that was all tilting against 
windmills and that he was called to serve Beauty and 
to recognise her, wherever he might meet her. 

He was so lonely now, so terribly lonely—day after 
day all by himself. He believed he always talked 
aloud to himself and felt it relieved himi. All day long 
he imagined stories of every possible kind, and perhaps 
he would soon write them ; some were very beautiful 
and some very horrible—fitting products of loneliness 


174 


HETTY GEYBERT 


in a silent room. They almost reminded one of 
Hoffmann. There was one tale of a man who comes 
home, strikes a light because he has an uncanny feeling, 
and as he goes up to his bed it looks to him as though 
he was already in it. And as he throws a light on it, 
there is his head lying on the pillow, but all by itself, 
without the body ; only his head and his own eyes 
look at him and blink so queerly at the unshaded' 
candlelight. And he is filled with a terrible fear 
lest the tale should get about that he had cut off his 
head, so he picks up his own head by the hair and 
carries it to a corner of his cupboard. And the next 
morning . . . “ B^ut I will tell you another tale that I 
am going to write—something wonderfully beautiful ; a 
love story that takes place in a great garden—about two 
people who dream away a whole summer and never 
notice that they are growing old and that this summer 
is their whole life. The whole story is filled with the 
sweet scent of the limes and of song, like the rustling 
of the trees here. It is an old garden with stone 
figures in niches in the box-trees and a like cottage 
with a golden arched roof, almost hidden by the trees 
that surround it like watchful sentinels. And the tulips 
bloom there the whole year through. 

“ Then I mean to write a novel—a great novel ; 
the scene is to be laid in Borsig, among the workers 
of an iron foundry, and the whole book is to resound 
to the heavy thud of the hammers on the enormous 
milled sheets. 

“ Those are just plans, Fraulein Hetty. Of what 
value are they ? Perhaps only folly and life is meant 
for something else. But I don’t know how to set 
about it. You see, I have been a teacher and even 
coached young gentlemen for their doctor’s examina¬ 
tion, but it is no pleasure to me now—I thoroughly 
dislike doing it. I could, of course, teach at home ; 
in fact, they have asked me twice already—again just 
now. They do not wish to lose my ability, they write 
—hold out prospects for the future, are anxious to tie 
me down. But I shouldn’t know what to say to the 


HETTY GEYBERT 


175 


boys, it all seems so self-evident to me and so little 
worth learning. They may be right at home in saying 
I am torn up by the roots, for their only standard is 
worldly success, and men are so made that they feel 
offended if we do not fulfil their expectations, just in 
the same way as they think that every success we have 
is their work. I should long since have yielded and 
crept under the yoke if my demands had not been 
so few that somehow or other I have managed to scrape 
together enough to satisfy them. But a man who 
in his youth—all his youth—has, in this place, that and 
the other, eaten the scanty bread of charity three or 
four times a week or else had no dinner, is not likely 
to be tempted by the prospect of a daily cut from the 
joint. 

“If I came from a rich home, of course I couldn’t 
bear permanently such a life as I have led and, even as 
it is, the thought is sometimes forced upon me that 
youth does not last for ever, and that we all want a 
warm room as we grow old. 

“ The world is still full of beauty though, and not 
a morning but brings it to me in some fresh form, 
offers it to me without money and without price. But 
when, like Lessing, we want to have the trees red in 
spring because green gets monotonous after we have 
seen it for dozens of years . . . and then when we run 
about outside like a lost dog, not knowing where or to 
whom we belong . . 

All this Kossling said, speaking with a flushed face, 
hurriedly indeed, but at great length and dwelling 
on every point. 

They had stopped, facing one another, somewhere 
by the fence at the end of the garden. Hetty was 
still carrying her hat by its strings over her arm 
like a basket, and they both looked somewhat sadly 
over the meadows, now yellow and red with kingcups 
and sorrel. The field path in front of them, with its 
twisted, scorched tree-trunks, had a somewhat neglected, 
sordid look about it, but farther on a shady avenue of 
trees rose in lofty dignity ; not a soul was to be seen 


176 HETTY GEYBERT 

under the wide expanse of blue sky, with its white 
layers of cloud one above the other, only, far away, a 
cart rattled in a cloud of red dust along the country, 
road, and in the direction where the Spree might lie, 
one caught a glimpse of a few straight, pointed masts. 
All else was silent and solitary. . . . 

So they stood at the fence, side by side, in a long 
silence, both lost in their own thoughts. 

“ I cannot think how I came to tell you all that. 
I am almost afraid I have wearied you, Hetty.’* 

“ No, Doctor, anything but that ! But ”—Hetty’s 
lips quivered—“ you make me sad, for I should so 
like you to be happy—indeed, that is my one wish for 
you.” 

‘‘Why? I am not unhappy so long as the world 
can offer such union of beauty and grace. But I 
think one must be stupid—I mean not a thinker—to 
be really happy. We must face the fact that the life 
of everyone who will not fall in with general ideas and 
views is a tragedy. Art is, I think, a crown of thorns 
intertwined with flowers, drops of blood run into our 
eyes whilst every passing breeze brings us a wave of 
sweet perfume. . . . But let us talk of other things— 
all this is such folly, such self-torture. Fraulein Hetty, 
now you must tell me something of yourself ; ” and he 
took her hand in his. “ Forgive me all this ; I feel 
like the cuckoo who" does nothing but proclaim his own 
name. Listen, there he cries ! Talk about yourself. 
Anything. What are you reading ? Are you doing any 
sewing? Tell me about your uncle. When do you go 
to bed here? Do you go out with your aunt? Do you 
walk in the garden in the evening ? I picture you 
coming along some dark path, your tall, bright form 
slowly growing more and more distinct.” 

Hetty looked at him with astonishment in her eyes 
and something like gratitude in her smile, but still 
continued the same train of thought. 

“ No, I think we can be happy as soon as we stop 
tormenting ourselves. Happiness seems to me like a 
little unnoticed weed such as chickweed, growing on 


HETTY GEYBERT 


177 


every side for anyone who cares enough to stoop and 
gather it. Happiness and unhappiness are, I think. 
Doctor, not so much the result of our lot in life as 
of our temperament.” 

Kossling felt nearer to tears than laughter now— 
why, he did not know. 

“ I am only speaking for myself. There are, it is 
true, days when I am sad and evenings when I sit 
and cry, when I feel almost overwhelmed and quite 
as old as Uncle and Aunt. But then again, I have 
days and weeks when I am calm and happy with 
no unsatisfied desires. How beautiful the last few 
weeks have been in this garden, lonely as it is, small 
and circumscribed. Yet I never remember such feel¬ 
ings before. Often, in the quiet of the morning, I 
could fancy all the outside world had passed away, 
and only this house and garden remained with the fields 
at the back and the road overshadowed by lime-trees 
in the front ; of that I am often firmly persuaded. If 
you lived out here in the country for a time, you too 
would think differently, and all that now seems of such 
importance to you would shrivel into nothing and slip 
away. I have really felt the want of only one thing 
—it is not nice to have to keep all my thoughts to 
myself . . . sometimes I would have liked someone 
else. ... Do you laugh? Of course, what can I 
say to you, then? What do I know of life? Although 
indeed I realised its serious side sooner than most— 
but I understand you only too well, almost, for although 
I have never had the experience in my own life of 
real anxiety, of not knowing in the morning if there 
will be anything left to eat, of having to ask with 
every thaler : 4 How long will it last ? ’—and that has 
really often made me ungrateful here, because I have 
never had it brought home to me that I have nothing of 
my own—yet I always have an inner feeling that I do 
not belong here—sometimes I could put my hand into 
the beggar’s and go right away with him.” 

Hetty said all this in her gentle, unaffected way, more 
as if speaking to herself than to Kossling. 

12 


178 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Kossling was busy tearing to pieces a couple of 
leaves that he had plucked from a privet-bush. 

44 Why do you tell me this? ” he asked, and Hetty 
could tell from his tone that it pained him. 

“ I tell you, Fraulein Hetty, anxieties, unhappiness, 
passion—what have these to do with you ? They must 
not touch you—do you understand?—they must not ! 
Wherever you tread, flowers must spring under your 
feet as they do here. And the grass must lift its every 
blade again after your passing. That is how your life 
must be. How dare you compare it with mine? I 
tell you, I have been thinking the whole time of you, 
of nothing but you.” ) 

A hot, embarrassed flush rose to Hetty’s cheeks. 

“ Yes, I have. Not for an hour, day or night have 
I thought of anything else—I have thought of you as 
we think of summer in the dark days of winter, for 
then it seems but one long, blue day, free from darkness, 
rain or wind. And I would fain keep such cheerful 
thoughts of you as of something so full of joy, so 
free from unfulfilled desire—it simply must not be 
that this point of light should become overclouded, 
partly for my sake and a hundredfold more for 
yours.” 

Kossling spoke with a half-laugh, yet with a sup¬ 
pressed note of despair in his words that almost brought 
tears to Hetty’s voice. Yet she had to laugh—not in 
mockery but from joy—and this laugh gave her back 
all her self-possession once again. 

“ This surely does not lie quite within our own 
power, Doctor ’’—she listened to her own words as 
she spoke. “ But I will promise you to do my best 
to cause you no anxiety, although our life would lack 
something if its path was only strewn with flowers. 
Would you like to have no salt in your food? Not 
a pinch shall come on to our table this evening, and 
I shall see if you do not ask for it.” 

Kossling nodded very thoughtfully with his eyes 
fixed straight in front of him. Then he smiled for 
this comparison appealed to the writer in him ’ He 


HETTY GEYBERT 


179 


was ashamed now of his last words and the melan¬ 
choly they expressed. And—whether it was the cool 
quiet of the green around, or the presence of his 
beautiful companion—in a moment all the clouds on his 
overcast sky were dispersed by a life-giving breeze, 
and the hopeful joyous blue of youth and health— 
for he had an iron constitution—beckoned to him in 
all directions from the fleeting shadows. 

He took Hetty’s hand. “ You must forgive me ”— 
and his voice was frank and gay—“ but a full cup is 
easily spilt.” 

<£ Oh,” Hetty answered, with a laugh as clear as a 
bell, “ what is there to forgive indeed? You said 
nothing that could hurt me .’ 1 

Kossling had a sudden feeling as though the fence 
against which he was leaning tipped forward slowly, 
very slowly, whilst the path in front ended abruptly 
in an abyss. That, however, passed in a moment, and 
he felt once more a freedom and lightness of spirit 
such as he could never remember before. For he, 
too, had passed all his life hitherto under the pressure 
of an ever-present burden that might indeed now and 
again be lifted a little from his shoulders, but only 
the next moment to fall back again heavier than 
before. 

“ Shall we go and see if we can get our little 
house, perhaps it is to let this year? ” laughed Koss¬ 
ling. He was not talking any more now either, only 
laughing—laughing away most of his former words. 
For, in spite of his thirty years, there was a splendid 
air of youth about him, with his slender figure and 
his happy, healthy face. 

Hetty did not say “ No.” She thought she had done 
her duty now that she had shown him the garden, he 
had seen for himself the prospects of a good strawberry 
crop, so that there was nothing to hinder longer excur¬ 
sions. She was booted and spurred too, so that she 
would not need to go up into the house again—or only 
for a minute to speak to the maid and give necessary 
orders about the evening meal. It was quite possible. 




180 


HETTY GEYBERT 


of course, that her aunt would not be back but, in 
any case, there must be something prepared for her 
supper. 

They turned their backs on to the bright expanse of 
sky, went a few steps in single file on the narrow paths 
of the orchard, together passed quickly through the 
shade under the elm- and ash-trees, past the summer¬ 
houses, without uttering a syllable, and if their hands 
inadvertently—Chance indeed has her eyes bandaged 
but she peeps a little—inadvertently met, they laughed 
and though they both thought it very foolish, yet they 
could not help doing it. 

In the courtyard under the chestnut-trees they came 
across the worthy Frau Konnecke using her hands very 
energetically to impress upon one of her children, a 
boy of eleven with a head as round as an apple and 1 
a face like half a well-baked potato, maxims for his 
future in easily grasped language of blows. 

Frau Konnecke paused in her gymnastic exercises 
to greet the two with marked friendliness and to ask 
if Kossling happened to be Fraulein Hetty’s sweetheart. 
She had long since silently assumed his existence, 
since, in her rank of life, she had never yet met with 
a girl of Hetty’s age without a lover of some sort. 

Kossling undertook the responsibility of answering, 
and said that neither of them knew anything of that 
matter so far, but that he felt greatly flattered and 
would be rejoiced to play the part assigned to him 
by Frau Konnecke. In return, however, he hoped 
Frau Konnecke would have a good crop of currants 
as the fruit had set so well. 

But Frau Konnecke did not agree with him, and gave 
a short discourse on the prospects and profits of small 
fruits. 

“Yes, yes,” she said, “this is how it is with the 
rubbishing things ; when you could use them, there are 
none and when they do come again, there are such 
masses as though they had been pitched on to the 
trees in bushelfuls. It’s always the same with the 
wretched things.” Frau Konnecke spoke very slowly 


HETTY GEYBERT 


181 


with great dignity and, as she thought, with a beautiful 
cultured choice of language—because Fraulein Hetty 
was there. 

But when Hetty had gone into the house to give her 
orders and to fetch something, Frau Konnecke let 
herself go a little more, so that Kossling, on Hetty’s 
return, had been carefully informed that Frau Konnecke 
with Karl had had to have a doctor—which she never 
did as a rule, not even a midwife—and that she said 
every day to her daughter Emily, who was now seven¬ 
teen years old : “ Emily, one bit of advice I’d like 

to give you, don’t have ought to do with men. They 
scarcely need to look at you and you’ve got a child ! ” 
Wasn’t she right there, too? You couldn’t keep too 
sharp an eye on girls. 

Kossling, however, had no more time left to agree 
with Frau Konnecke or to expound his views on this 
knotty question, as Hetty returned at that moment. 
And as they wished to go to the Castle Park they 
had with heavy hearts to bid farewell to Frau Konnecke 
who had not, meantime, forgotten her mission, for 
the two were barely in the hall before she had begun 
her heavy hand movements again on the little round- 
head, who had not even made use of his chance to put 
a little more space between himself and his kind 
instructress—an omission that seemed to point to very 
poorly developed brain-power in Konnecke junior. 

Even in the front garden they could still hear the 
resounding expression of the worthy woman’s dis¬ 
approval. 

As the little wooden gate closed behind them, they 
both stood somewhat at a loss what next to do. Koss¬ 
ling did not know whether he might now venture to 
offer his arm to Hetty. He hesitated, for they might 
meet someone, but he resolved to do so afterwards. 
He still felt as if under a spell, and the whole way 
down the long straight road he repeated to himself 
something which he imagined had been one of Hetty’s 
answers just before. 

They were walking in the shade themselves, but 


182 HETTY GEYBERT 


the sun was shining brightly over their heads on the 
green foliage of the limes on their left, and down 
the broad path, lying like a narrowing band of gold 
before them, not a creature was to be seen in the quiet 
of this spring afternoon. 

Suddenly Hetty began to sing something, or rather 
to warble half under her breath little simple songs 
that every child knows. And Kossling joined in with 
the seconds, and before they knew where they were 
they had taken hands like two children and were 
walking along, tall and straight in simple happiness to 
the rhythm of their song, beating time with their hands. 

It was impossible to say who had begun ; they each 
thought it was the other, but also thought that perhaps 
it was not so either. 


And when Hetty left off, their hands did not part 
but they still went on in step and time, almost feeling 
as though their hands had grown together and that it 
would cause them pain to separate. All this time 
Kossling had not once looked at Hetty, nor Hetty at 
him, but both gazed down the long straight road as if 
happiness must come to them from that direction. 

Now and again Kossling spoke of things he had 
seen or that had happened, for Hetty said she had no 
idea how the world was going. He spoke of the plaster 
cast of the Amazons that he had seen in the work- 
rooms at Kiss, and of his amazement to see how full 
of life it was. But the King had said he would like to 
see the fool who would find the money to have it done 
in bronze. And in all he said Kossling had but the 
one feeling of immeasurable tenderness for Hetty so 
sweet as almost to bring tears to his eyes. He 'felt 
as if he were stroking everything about her with fingers 
too light to be perceived, felt such boundless rever¬ 
ence that his own personality faded away in it as mist 
before the sun, felt that he was but there to admire 
this beauteous creature, straight in body and mind alike 
and his admiration was entirely free from any thought 

beauty" P ° SSible ^ t0 a share in ^ is 


HETTY GEYBERT 


188 


The long path before them grew gradually less, 
and now it was in full sunshine beyond the last two 
trees. They kept so well in step that the ground 
literally resounded to their tread, growing ever quicker 
and gayer as they talked—with hands always firmly 
clasped. 

Hetty spoke of Jason, whom she had not seen for 
so long, and Kossling said he was almost a stranger 
to him too, now ; not that his feeling with regard to 
Jason had changed, but he had scarcely seen him once 
lately. 

What was his feeling, then, with regard to him, his 
candid and honest opinion without considering that 
Hetty was his niece? 

“ Well then, I think Jason Geybert belongs to 
those people who always disappoint ; from whom! 
we expect, expect, expect all our lives—and, all at once, 
the time has gone and nothing has happened. But 
I value his friendship for he is a connoisseur in every¬ 
thing, not only in reading but in whatever appeals to 
his sense of beauty, and this, too, certainly needs 
something of an artist." 

Hetty nodded. 

“ But what does it matter, Fraulein Hetty? What 
does it matter. Who is not disappointing? Have I 
not, up till now, disappointed all who have pinned their 
faith on me ? The more people we meet in this life, 
the more often we are disappointed. I have known 
young students- whose names, I was convinced, would 
throw Hegel’s and Fichte’s into the shade, young poets 
who I believed would, one day, be classed with the 
greatest, and their notes have died down, blown away 
by the wind, swept into some quiet corner. And just 
those of whom we never expected it, who have never 
particularly struck us, are those whom we read, and 
of whom we hear until we too listen and say : * Ah', 
there speaks genius ; I never expected it from him.* 

“ But your uncle will certainly be one of the guests 
when I summon my round table. ” 

Hetty looked at him incredulously. iJ Did I never 


184 HETTY GEYBERT 

tell you,’* Kossling laughed, “ that I am going to 
rent the castle here and live in it with a company of 
young people—somewhat differently from my noble 
predecessors here—with classical studies, but also a 
wrestling-hall and school of oratory? we shall, like 
Byron, read all the novels in the world, keep a tame 
bear and shoot with bows and arrows—and. first on 
my list stands Jason Geybert.” 

“ And where do I come in? ” pouted Hetty. 

Well, I don't think that would suit you at all,” 
Kossling answered seriously. “ There are really only 
to be men by themselves to sharpen one another’s 
wits till sparks fly as from flint and steel. Are you 
angry with me? Well then, be my lady of the house, 
sit at the head of the table and keep the threads of 
conversation in your own hand. Wfien the meal is 
over, I will offer you my arm and lead you to the 
door. With calm dignity you permit me to kiss your 
hand, and go to your apartments whilst I return to my 
friends, the serving-men hand round long pipes, replace 
the wine on the table and rockets are fired off of 
intellect and wit, of sentimentality and cynicism. And 1 
I shall nominate Jason Geybert as Marshal of the 
Round Table ; that I have decided .” 1 

“ What nonsense you talk ! But I understand. 
There seems to me something very pleasant about 
men s friendship because it is so free from pettiness 
or envy.” 

Then the path came to an end in the open park 
and they both walked silently for a little under silver 
planes with their smooth, dappled trunks. And soon 
over the trees to the left, their goal appeared, the 
golden figure, poised in mid-air, in its gay dance on 
the openwork top of the cupola, that flashed out sud¬ 
denly like some vision, with a strange glittering aureole 
from the rays of the late afternoon sun ; a few more 
steps and the castle lay before them, in its full extent 
with long low wings and high central cupola. Below" 
its high white windows looked out of the golden- 
yellow walls through the dark tree-trunks, and up above 


HETTY GEYBERT 185 

it hid its heavy roof in the foliage—still fresh with the 
first shades of spring—of the same trees whose topmost 
boughs shone red in the afternoon sunshine. 

Soldiers were drilling in the distance, raising clouds 
of dust and casting long, grotesque shadows across the 
sand. Except for a white-haired castle attendant, lan¬ 
guidly crossing the empty court, everything lay quiet 
and peaceful under the slanting rays of the late 
sunshine. 

The two stood in some hesitation before the gate, 
whilst the two stone warriors with drawn swords above 
their heads maintained their fixed attitude of mutual 
attack. 

“It is strange,” Kossling remarked, “ how in these 
old pleasure castles I never think of rulers and states 
or of wars and generals, but, in these long corridors and 
suites of rooms, I can only think how many secret 
meetings there must have been between court ladies 
and devoted pages, and notes pushed into chimney 
corners and little Cupids waiting on the window 
brackets. Everywhere one catches something like the 
aroma of love stories all past and gone—perhaps it is 
but the effect of the loneliness and beauty of the 
forsaken rooms ; I always feel that true love must 
search out such corners where there is none to disturb, 
where everything is but a mirror and echo of love, 
where every prospect, every shadow under the trees 
before the windows, the broad avenue between the limes 
and the hidden paths through the bushes, seem mad^ 
for love and love alone. 

Hetty looked at him with something like a laugh, 
a roguish laugh in the depths of those eyes of hers 
so like the velvet blossoms of some dark pansy. 

“ We will go rather into the park, Doctor,” she said 
with secret amusement as she suddenly took Kossling’s 
arm : “ Besides, you said that you didn’t want me in 
the castle, that you would escort me to my apartments 
and drink with your friends—so let us go into the 
park.” 

“ No,” Kossling answered ; “ that was not what I 


186 


HETTY GEYBERT 


meant. Do you want to share the castle with me only. 
I wonder what we two could do with a castle—with a 
whole castle just for us two, where everything is ours. 
I fancy we should flutter about in it like two lost 
birds.” 

And, saying this, Kossling drew Hetty’s arm, which 
lay so soft and cool on his coat-sleeve, close to his side 
and for the first time their eyes met. And this meeting 
gave them such pleasure that they often renewed it, 
at shorter and shorter intervals for a longer and longer 
time, at appropriate and unappropriate moments and 
with significant or unimportant words. 

“ Then let us go into the park,” Hetty said, hanging 
firmly—like a naughty child—on to Kossling’s arm as 
they passed through the black, trellised gate with its 
golden stars. 

“ Down here ? ” Kossling asked, pointing to the 
long lime-walk now so flooded with the sun’s red 
beams that every gnat and buzzing cockchafer shone 
and glittered like a drop of gold—“ down here ? ” 
pointing to the limes where they could hear from time 
to time the shrill notes of thrushes on the wing. 

‘‘ No,” said Hetty, ‘‘that is not a favourite walk of 
mine. Come, I will show you this way ; ” and keeping 
close to the castle, they passed the beds of pansies, 
growing in bright patches between great green beech 
stems, for all the world like huge green stones, every 
bed outlined with mathematical precision by little shrubs 
trimmed with minutest care, until, by way of the 
orangery, they came into the open and the whole 
park, with its long straight lime-walk's, its stretches 
of meadowland, its lilac copses, and groups of tall 
trees round the turf, lay before them like an open book 
whose pages they could turn at will. Here the short, 
thick-stemmed orange-trees were growing in wooden 
tubs beside the low stone seats and the busts of the 
Roman emperors, with their heavy selfish faces. In 
front of the castle itself there was an enormous set 
bed planted with nothing but great bright tulips of 
different colours. 


HETTY GEYBERT 187 

t£ Ho you know this ? ” Hetty asked : 

** 'Long the walks which lead through tulips, fields of tulips 
shining there. 

Silently beneath the yew-trees stand the statues white 
and fair. " 

“ No,” Kossling answered, with a smile, " I don’t 
know it.” 

” I found it in one of the annuals that Uncle Jason 
lent me.” 

“ Don’t you know how it goes on, Hetty ? ” 

tl Not exactly,” Hetty answered in great confusion. 

“ Oh, please, please, why won’t you say it?” 

Hetty could not withstand this petition, and began to 
recite with droll merriment and in so loud a tone that 
a couple of old gentlemen passing by deep in conversa¬ 
tion stopped short in amazement. 

** Through the garden, Chloe wanders, beauteous Chloe with 
her knight; 

Just behind them, soft creeps Eros, rising now to aim 
aright." 

Both considered this a very suitable opportunity to 
convince themselves with conscientious certainty of their 
mutual presence in this beautiful spring world by means 
of a long, happy look into the other’s eyes. 

“ There goes Cupid’s arrow, and he has hit the 
mark,” Kossling remarked very contentedly after a short 
interval. 

And sure enough Hetty, like Chloe in Eichendorff’s 
poem, as punishment for his false, deceitful ways, with 
the hand she had withdrawn from his arm, gave him 
quite a firm blow on his. Then off she ran in her 
light dress, tripping along very fast in her little shoes 
a short way in front of him down the green, leafy 
avenue, being firmly convinced that Kossling would not 
accept that without protest. 

But there he stood, motionless and lost in thought, 
looking after her. The idea that he now had some 


188 


HETTY GEYBERT 


active share in all this living beauty suddenly over¬ 
whelmed him with happiness. Yet, in the same moment 
his whole fate stood before him and his eyes filled with 
tears. 

But only for a moment ! He dashed the tears away 
with a quick movement of his hand and ran to catch 
Hetty, who was by now quite a long way ahead. And 
when he caught her, he stopped, quite short of breath, 
for she had had a really good start. 

When Hetty saw that Kossling harboured no evil 
designs but, having accepted the blow calmly as well 
deserved, was only too pleased to be at her side again, 
she slipped her arm through his once more, and 
they walked together along the shores of the pond, 
under the overarching trees, so low-growing in places, 
that all that could be seen of the water was perchance 
some silvery eye peeping through the network of green 
leaves, but in others, only a few steps farther on, 
thin enough to allow a full view of the tall groups of 
trees on the opposite bank. 

Again and again they caught sight of the castle, 
lying red and golden in the evening sunshine, crowned 
with its dancing, glittering figure. Whenever they 
looked round, there it stood—behind them, on the 
other side of the water, at the end of the straight paths, 
between the beautiful clumps of trees and beyond the 
little narrow pond-paths with their gentle curves and 
soft grass banks, here white with cow-parsley and 
there crimson with water-pinks ; again and again it 
reappeared ... at the end of some long vista inter¬ 
sected and crossed by meadows, roads and watercourses, 
under the bridges that overarched these, and across' 
the pond’s crimsoned surface—as though multiplied a 
thousand times, wherever one’s eye turned, there it was. 

Hetty and Kossling went this way and that, arm-in¬ 
arm on the narrow paths but quite independently of each 
other in the broad avenues. They sat for a little on 
the bench by the pond and watched the swallows as 
they chased each other, skimming the surface of the 
water and flashing a silvery white as they turned in their 


HETTY GEYBERT 189 

flight. Kossling had sunk into a dreamy mood, which 
took all sense of reality from everything that had 
ever been or happened in his life. Hetty only felt 
with pleasure that she was loved, honoured with a 
modest devotion and that she liked—well, perhaps more 
than liked—Kossling. But it never struck her in the 
least that this liking could bring anything else in its 
train or lay any obligation on him. She was only 
lighthearted and glad that they had reached such an 
understanding without the need of words. 

Their conversation turned from one subject to 
another. Kossling talked again about Brunswick, with 
its curiously named streets, and one called Bolker Street 
as in Dusseldorf, talked, too, of the hardships of his 
proud, young days, for he had been poor, miserably 
poor, but proud too, because at school he always sat 
with his torn coat above rich folks’ sons and could 
write their names on the blackboard when they made a 
noise. That, however, had been in his early school¬ 
days, later on he had found the restraint very irksome, 
for school had not satisfied him and nobody knows 
what might have happened, had he not always been 
able to master his tasks so easily and quickly. At 
first he had despised those on the lower benches, but 
later on he chose them for his only associates. And 
his happiest memories were of the friends of his later 
schooldays, many of whom 1 , though misunderstood, even 
tormented, by the masters and persecuted by the boys, 
yet had an inner life of rich beauty. And from that 
time on, he had always been the same, never able to 
fit in happily anywhere and always taking the excep¬ 
tion as the rule. 

Meantime they had strayed into a part where the 
park ended in swampy meadows and bogs, through 
which the river crept lazily in wide curves, until, in the 
distance, it disappeared under the shade of a narrow 
strip of woodland, now wreathed in mist, for the 
evening sun stood close above it. 

So they turned, went by a narrow, rippling stream, 
along a raised bank quite overhung with willows, and 


190 HETTY GEYBERT 

for a little distance followed a hidden mule-track, : 
where they had to walk in single file that seemed to 
give each a more acute sense of the other’s presence 
than when they walked arm-in-arm. At last they 
stood by the little round building with a bodyguard of 
dark old yew-trees under the shelter of gigantic 
poplars. Up above, on shutters eternally closed, cary¬ 
atides blinked sleepy eyes at the low red sun, peeping, 
through the trees, and the stone figures of girls with 
baskets of fruit danced along the front of the little 
yellow house. 

“ Now we will see if anyone will let it to us,”- 
Kossling said. “ For the summer or for the whole 
year? ” 

‘‘For the whole year,” Hetty replied. 

But there was no one to be seen, not a soul to 
be found, although there was washing hanging out in 
a far-away corner by a shed. Only, the flowers stood in 
little rows, close and silent, round the cottage, narcissi 
pansies, lilies of the valley and gay annuals, all shining 
with a bright, unearthly light in the twilight, which was 
just^ casting its earliest shadows here under the trees. 
We have no luck, said Kossling seriously. 

Hetty, too, had a sudden feeling of sadness as of 
a note rising from some muffled strings and echoing on 
as they came out to the broad stream of water lazily 
flowing onward, its calm surface but seldom ruffled 
by the evening breeze that gently touched the tops of 
the tall trees until every leaf turned its silver side to 
the light. Even this gentle breeze made Hetty shiver. 

Kossling felt the shiver, and said, as he laid a pro¬ 
tecting arm round Hetty’s shoulder : “ Sweet one 1 

found a poem, too, in a periodical. 

"In the path of thy life like a beggar I stand. 

Yet all to no purpose, my cap in my hand • 

But when I return with fleet, fiery steed, 

To my^silent white castle my dear wife I’ll lead." 

Hetty leant against him without a word, flushed and 


HETTY GEYBERT 


191 


trembling. Then, moved by a sudden impulse, they 
threw their arms round one another as though irre¬ 
sistibly drawn to each other, forced to a close and 
ardent embrace ; their lips met and parted, met again 
as though nothing could ever tear them asunder again. 
And Kossling saw a few tears rise in Hetty’s dark, 
velvet eyes, slowly gather, overflow and trickle down 
her cheeks, as his lips sought her face, cheeks, eyes, 
forehead, even the hair on her temples, not leaving a 
spot untouched by kisses filled with deep and passionate 
emotion. 

Suddenly Hetty pulled herself together and said : 

“ Come, my dear, good boy, now we will be 
reasonable ; I must go.” And she leaned forward again 
and pressed her lips on his in such a long, long kiss 
that Kossling well-nigh felt dizzy with joy. 

“ That is the last,” she said, as she turned away. 
They did not race each other now, but went with 
lagging footsteps and silent lips, side by side, along 
the dusky paths, over the little tracks by the pond of 
clear water whose depths reflected the rosy brightness 
of the evening sky. 

When they spoke, it was of indifferent matters, quite 
avoiding any direct address, for they could not speak 
as strangers, and their lips hesitated over the more 
tender terms of loving intimacy. 

The shadows lay heavy under the clumps of trees 
whose foliage was crimson in the sun’s fiery rays. 
The thrushes had found lofty perches and were pouring 
out raptures of song into the evening air, but all else 
was mute, save that, in the far distance down by the 
water, a nightingale was timidly essaying her first 
stumbling trills and gurgles. 

Kossling’s mind was swept by emotions that came 
and went like sunshine and rain, hail and snow, on some 
April day, dripping with rain and white with snow 
one moment, glistening with golden glory in every nook 
and cranny the very next. 

He felt as though he had now won something that 
would arm him against all else, so that, come what 


192 


HETTY GEYBERT 


might, he could never sink back again into the old 
misery. Everything that had occupied and filled his 
mind before now seemed so worthless and insignificant 
in comparison with this unmerited happiness that had 
come into his life. 

We are all busy with politics and things in general, 
poetry and life-work, the meaning of things and food, 
struggles, anxieties, lonely torture, and suddenly a 
whirlwind falls upon us and all is blown away as 
though these other things had never been there to fill 
our souls with sadness. 

Hetty walked by his side with firm steps and head 
erect, striving to fight down all anxiety and misgiving 
as to her future—for she felt now that the future of 
both was inextricably interwoven. No, she was deter¬ 
mined that she would not allow any of this to over¬ 
shadow one second of the rare and beautiful present, 
where everything had its message for her, and the 
scent of the leaves, still damp from the rain, the 
presence of the man she loved, the bright evening light, 
everything around, even to the silent statues amongst 
the trees, lulled her to rest with flattering tongues. 

When they had again come to the gate, with its 
golden stars and points, they stopped to look back 
on the dusky lime avenue and the groups of trees in 
the park, ranged like a dark wall behind the low 
orangery. But the sentinel, with his gun in his arm, 
marching up and down with heavy, clattering steps—a 
coarse, heavily-built fellow—told them they must leave 
the park, for they were the last and the gate had to 
be shut. 

Kossling was annoyed at this and inclined to give a 
sharp answer, but Hetty pulled his arm nervously 
and, clinging to him, whispered an urgent petition that 
he would not say a word. 

Then once more they caught sight of the golden 
figure, now standing out like a dark silhouette against 
the fiery glow of the clear evening sky. They passed 
beyond her sight until the twilight of the long road 
enwrapped them both with close and tender embrace 


193 


HETTY GEYBERT 

as the quiet secrecy of our own room surrounds us 
after some beautiful day of vivid, varying experiences. 

The nearer they came to Frau Konnecke’s house, the 
slower and more hesitating their steps—they stopped 
sometimes for several minutes, either talking or in 
silence, close to the trees, keeping away from the 
little circles of yellow light just as Hetty had noticed! 
others do every Sunday evening. 

Neither of them said a word of how things were to 
be between them, of plans, hopes, prospects, of hin¬ 
drances or difficulties ; just as though they had agreed 
not to speak of these and to let nothing come between 
them that might embitter the happiness and quiet joy 
of the present. For Hetty, beautiful, proud Hetty 
Geybert, had long since regretted her late resolve that 
that should be the last, and their lips found meeting 
ever easier and parting more difficult, just as the waves 
of a. river pouring into the sea and the billows of the 
incoming tide rush to meet and mingle in one long 
embrace. 

And they walked along slowly—so slowly—went for 
a few short steps into the almost total darkness of a 
side street of low, small houses, only to turn back 
again into the more important thoroughfare. Twilight 
gradually faded into half-darkness, and darkness 
deepened into warm night, when earth sent up her 
mists and vapours and the sky came closer with a few 
stars peeping out, like eyes red with weeping. 

Over and over again the two resolved with solemn 
promises to be sensible now and mindful of their 
dignity, and, over and over again, they laughed and 
forgot their vows. Short spells of gaiety and child¬ 
like laughter were followed by periods of earnest 
thought, jokes and trifling talk—for, all at once, they 
had so very much to tell each other of bygone times, 
of little peculiarities, incidents of childhood and school¬ 
days—all this, which was only of any importance for 
them alone, was followed by earnest, thoughtful words. 

“ Do you know, my darling,” Kossling said, “ that 
for weeks now—for you must not think this is the first 

13 


194 


HETTY GEYBEKT 


day I have had your companionship, for weeks you 
have not left my side—and all this time I have been 
filled with wonder that I have met you. For I believe 
that in the whole world there is but one other destined 
for every human being and both are sent to wander 
without ceasing over the earth until they meet. I 
have been born here ten, thirty times and gone back 
again, only to return once more to look for you. Do 
you remember how I said to you that I hoped it would 
not be another five hundred years before I met you 
again ? ” 

And Hetty did remember. 

Kossling went on to say how strange it all was, 
and how he now saw everything in a different light. 
He was always trying to persuade himself that his 
place was in the hurly-burly, on the outposts with 
others where the fight was the fiercest, where there 
was movement and growth, but again and again he 
asked himself in surprise how all this concerned him, 
what he had to do with it, whether they were his rich 
and poor, his kings and constitution, his fancies and 
books. He felt now that this was none of his business, 
that he had no idea how to tackle it, felt that all he 
wanted was rest to become himself, and that all he must 
have for his own was some little corner where he could 
be happier than in any spacious palace. He asked 
nothing, nothing at all from life but the gift of happi¬ 
ness which had now fallen into his arms. And if in 
return he should have all his life through to cart stones 
with all the others, he would not hesitate for a moment, 
nor have one moment’s regret. 

But Hetty was of the opinion that this was only 
idle talk. 

Now, at last, they. had almost reached Frau 
Konnecke’s house and the scent of the lilacs and 
laburnums leaning in dim, indistinct masses against 
the fence, came to meet them, intermingled and over¬ 
powered by the orange scent of the white acacias that 
from the back garden were breathing out their frag¬ 
rance into the night mists. The two hearts beat hard 


HETTY GEYBERT 195 

and fast now that the moment to part had really come. 
As they still stood so quietly under the lime-tree, a 
light shone in the aunt’s room and a broad, illuminating, 
ray poured on to the bushes and flowers, showing every 
lilac-leaf distinctly—poured out and gradually faded in 
the velvet darkness of the spring night, never even 
reaching the lime-tree where the two had sought 
refuge. 

Then Aunt Rika herself stepped up to the window 
and looked out, but as she stood in the light herself, 
everything outside was doubly dark for her, and she 
never dreamt that a few steps off Kossling and her 
niece Hetty were standing under the tree, holding their 
breath. After Aunt Rika had let down the blinds, 
Hetty and Kossling once more threw themselves into 
each other’s arms and Hetty, proud Hetty Geybert, 
shook with her sobs whilst Kossling stroked her hair, 
temples and cheeks, encouraged her with gentle caresses 
and kissed her with whispered endearments as if he 
were soothing a tired, unhappy child. 

Then, at last, they bade each other farewell with a 
silent, firm hand-clasp, followed by a kiss, then another 
hand-clasp and more kisses, until, with painful reluc¬ 
tance, they tore themselves apart. Long after Hetty 
had lost sight of Kossling she still thought she could! 
see him in the darkness and hear his footsteps. At 
last she crept in very softly, so that the gate should! 
not creak, up the little steps, brushing past the cool 
leaves of the rustling privet, in fear lest the door should 1 
be locked ; but Frau Konnecke had left it open and 
put the key inside for Hetty to turn after her. 

Frau Konnecke herself never lit a candle all the 
summer through and went to bed with the chickens or 
at most but an hour or two later. 

At Hetty’s gentle knock something stirred in Aunt 
Rika’s room, but her aunt did not come ; only after 
a little time the maid came pattering down the passage 
with bare feet, for she, too, was ready for bed. She 
said she had supper ready, and would Fraulein Hetty 
like to have it in her bedroom? But Hetty said “ No,’ s 


196 


HETTY GEYBERT 


went straight to her room, threw the window wide open, 
looked out into the evening mist and up to the sky, 
hanging like a curtain of light above the tree-tops, as 
she wondered where Kossling might be now ; whether 
he had got as far as the little toll-house, if it might 
not have been safer for him to drive, and whether he 
would by any chance be wise enough to take one of 
the cabs at the castle gate. Then she began very 
quietly to undress, for no one could look from outside 
into her dark room. She had determined to lose her¬ 
self in sound, sweet sleep, but her blood boiled, and 
as she pulled the blanket over her head and shut her 
eyes, she seemed to see a dark red cloud encircling 
her, and as she tried to fix her mind on something that 
concerned them both, it disappeared, like leaves and 
blossoms driven into the brook by the wind—there they 
go, and where are they now? Hetty had a sudden 
feeling as though she was surrounded by life—or was 
it only the night breeze coming in from the trees? 
Still she felt as if every whisper once uttered within 
these walls, the love that had rested in these pillows 
reawakened to life once more and benumbed her in its 
tender depths. For a long time she lay there, hot, 
trembling, troubled, not daring to move a limb, but 
longing to scream aloud as she felt again the kisses 
that had been showered down on to hair, mouth and 
cheeks. 

Hetty could endure this state of defenceless weakness 
no longer and she got up as quietly as she had lain 
down, put on a few of the garments, shining white and 
distinct on the chair in the darkness, found in the corner 
a shawl to throw round her shoulders, slipped her bare 
feet into light slippers and, scarcely daring to breathe, 
crept out as nervously as a thief, listening after every 
step lest anything should stir, and, starting with every 
footfall at the creaking of the boards or of some piece 
of furniture, she took her timid way out of her bedroom 
along the passage and down the few little steps. 

Nor did she breathe freely until she stopped for a 
moment under the leafy branches of the chestnut-trees, 


HETTY GEYBERT 197 

where the air was warm and moist as in a greenhouse. 
But when a dog over in the next courtyard began to 
bark and howl as he pushed his great head against 
the fence, Hetty moved on quickly along the familiar 
paths into the depths of the dark garden. 

It was cooler there than under the chestnuts, and the 
fresh night air blew cold enough through her light 
clothing to make her shiver and draw the shawl close 
round her shoulders. 

Then Hetty went with restless feet through the 
orchard, filled with the scent of the acacias, where 
stars peeped down now and again through the leafy 
branches, and on without a stop through the fruit-plot, 
along the narrow paths between the dewy raspberry- 
canes where the wide sky above her looked like a dark, 
star-spangled bell. Her thoughts went back to Koss- 
ling’s words when he spoke of her coming in her light 
garments out of the darkness of the path, and her mind 
dwelt again and again on him and on the happiness she 
felt, although it was mingled with despair. 

And once more she heard every word of the after¬ 
noon, felt every kiss of the evening just gone. . . . The 
garden was so silent that she heard the church clocks 
striking in the distance, she scarcely knew how, but 
there they were, quite distinct, every quarter, half and 
at longer intervals every hour ; not that she had any 
idea how late it was, because, although she heard the 
strokes, she never counted them. But it was almost light 
already, or at any rate seemed so to her, when, at last, 
she went back to her room so weary, so utterly weary. 

Once back in her room, Hetty could scarcely close 
the window before she fell on her bed as unconsciously 
and heavily as a stone and slept a sound, dreamless 
sleep, until the sun was high over the land once more. 

***** 

Hetty did not wake before late next morning and 
then did not know where she was, until, by slow 
degrees, all the memory of the last evening and night 
came, back to her. 


198 HETTY GEYBERT 

But she had scarcely rubbed the sleep out of her 
eyes and recalled to mind each little detail when every¬ 
thing, so to speak, was nothing—all past and gone—and 
things once more ran in their old, accustomed groove. 

Aunt Rika came back again in pouring rain from 
Berlin, for towards morning clouds had crept up from 
Spandau, a slight shower had begun soon after, and 
now it really looked as if the water pouring down from 
the sloping roof in wide, splashing streams would never 
cease, but go on with its present performance till 
crack of doom. And the aunt had got wet, although the 
leather flap had been let down in the cab and, quite 
contrary to her usual habit, she was very depressed and 
silent. As a rule, she let off all her news as readily 
as any repeater watch, but to-day she never opened 1 
her lips, that is, of course, she was not quite silent, 
for even though Aunt Rika might say little, she still 
rivalled any Mennonite preacher in eloquence ; still, 
it was evident that she did not speak, as usual, because 
she enjoyed it, but rather to divert attention from 
her silence, and not a syllable did she utter about last 
evening. 

Hetty sat opposite to her in the bare dining-room 
at the back, feeling as never before the oppressive 
atmosphere of its green darkness and, whilst she ques¬ 
tioned and answered with all the ease at her command, 
she felt that in the interval some misfortune or other had 
happened for her ; something irremediable, something 
that would entirely and for ever destroy the even 
tenor of her life. All afternoon Aunt Rika was writing 
a long letter to Solomon in Leipzig, whilst Hetty sat 
by her, sewing in silence, and afterwards, when Hetty 
wanted to put a note in as well, her aunt said unfor¬ 
tunately there was no room for it and that the letter 
must go quickly. Moreover, she went herself—in spite 
of the rain and posted it at the nearest post-box. 

How gladly Hetty would have told her what had hap¬ 
pened she longed, indeed, to have someone to whom ; 
she could pour out all her heart—but as they sat oppo¬ 
site one another like that she could not find courage to 


HETTY GEYBERT 


199 


begin. More than once the first word was on her 
lips, but there it stayed, paralysed and frozen, for 
when she looked at her aunt’s face, so utterly comic in 
its earnest anxiety and its little black-currant eyes, 
she realised sadly that she must not speak now, but 
had better wait until her uncle came and confess every¬ 
thing to him. He, Hetty knew, would stand up for 
them both. . . . 

For worthy Frau Konnecke had yesterday—as was 
only to be expected—welcomed Aunt Rika back by 
immediately telling her that Fraulein Hetty had gone 
out with a gentleman and would, in her opinion, not 
be back very soon. She would have thought she might 
be home for supper, but it did not look very like it. 

Frau Konnecke added, however, that she was almost 
always at home but had never seen the gentleman, 
a pleasant fair man—for she had had a talk with him— 
out there before. But whether Fraulein Hetty had in 
the morning—as she always went to the park—arranged 
a meeting-place with him there, of course she did not 
know. 

To have to hear such things said about Hetty by 
strangers almost reduced her aunt to tears. Half the 
night she could not sleep, whilst fully a hundred times 
she wished Solomon could be there to give Hetty a 
good talking-to. For it really would not do to go 
wandering about with strange men . . . whatever 
could Hetty be thinking about ! It could never come to 
anything ; of course it was utterly out of the question. 
At break of day Aunt Rika was out of her bed and 
had driven straightaway—without any breakfast, for 
she might, of course, just as well get her morning coffee 
at Bolzani’s—to see Jason at the office. Since he had 
brought the man to their house, it was surely his 
business to see them rid of him again. 

But Aunt Rika’s patience was sorely tried, for Herr 
Jason, as the porter said, was never accustomed to come 
to the office before half-past ten, and in the interval of 
waiting much of her pent-up wrath against Jason and 
her indignation with Kossling and Hetty had evaporated 


200 


HETTY GEYBERT 


and the subsequent conversation was much more 
moderate in expression and gentler in tone than might 
at first have been expected. 

For when Jason came at last—a quarter of an hour 
later than usual, very spick and span, and whistling 
gaily—Aunt Rika, by now too impatient to sit still 
any longer and running like quicksilver up and down 
her husband’s private office, had quite reached the limits 
of her strength and was somewhat more kindly 
disposed. 

“ Good morning, Rika ; what brings you here then ? ” 
inquired Jason in mingled surprise and anxiety. 

But Aunt Rika gave Jason no time to recover from 
his surprise. “ Jason,” she began, gasping for breath. 
” Jason, just think, the man you brought with you 
that evening to our house was out yesterday at Char- 
lottenburg.” 

“ Well,” replied Jason—and now he, too, began to 
walk up and down. “ Well,” he said, between two 
trills out of the overture to Zampa. “ I didn’t know 
that the Geyberts had rented all Charlottenburg. 
According to Prussian land-laws no one can be for¬ 
bidden to go there, not even if I did bring the man 
to your house.” 

“ Well,” answered Aunt Rika in slow, sad tones, 

“ as far as I’m concerned he can come to Charlotten¬ 
burg as much as he likes, but the man was out walking 
with Hetty all afternoon till late at night. I never; 
even heard Hetty come in.” 

Aunt Rika thought she really had a right to this little 
fib to give more weight to her words. 

Jason stood still with a very thoughtful look on his 
face, whilst the air he had only been humming with 
his lips before now came with a low shrill whistle 
through his teeth. 

“Was he?” he said. “Was he! Is this, then, 
the first time that Dr. Kossling has been out to see 
you? ” 

“ That’s what I don’t know.” 

“ Well, but what did Hetty say to you about it?” 


HETTY GEYBERT 


201 


“ Why, Jason, of course I shall not speak to Hetty 
about it I And do you think she will tell me? She is 
not so stupid as that.” 

“ I see,” Jason answered, biting his thin, upper lip. 
Then, dear sister-in-law, then first have a talk with 
Hetty about it—what do you expect me to do in the 
matter? ” 

“ But think, if Solomon should come now—you 
know yourself how attached he is to Hetty—what am 
I to say then? ” Rika asked in great distress and look¬ 
ing as though she expected to be a great-aunt the very 
next day. . . . This quite upset Jason’s composure. 

“ But do you really think that—I mean that—do you 
understand—there is any cause for anxiety? Why, I 
know Hetty and I know Dr. Kossling, and it seems to 
me exceedingly doubtful. It is, of course, possible, Rika, 
that they find pleasure in one another’s company—but 
more than that I think . . .” 

“ ‘ Possible ! ’ ‘ Possible,’ he says,” Aunt Rika 

replied in a tone implying that she had a lunatic to 
deal with. “ Perhaps you think, Jason, that I have 
no eyes in my head. Perhaps you think I haven’t long 
since seen this coming.” 

“ But it is also possible that you may be mistaken, 
dear sister-in-law ! ” 

It was now Aunt Rika’s turn to jump up. M Me 
mistaken? Was I ever mistaken in such matters? I 
have no idea, Jason, how you come to say such a thing 
about me.” 

This speech was enough to restore his native sense 
of humour to Jason—who was beginning to find the 
situation painful, for he felt that he had got himself 
into a pretty kettle of fish—and with it he recovered 
his old habit of managing things from above instead of 
letting them come close enough to press him on all 
sides.- 

“You know, O spouse of my brother Solomon 
Geybert,” he began, as he merrily stationed himself, 
feet wide apart and both hands in his pockets, in front 
of little, snorting Aunt Rika, “ you know I have 


202 HETTY GEYBERT 

always honoured your womanly intuition which, in such 
delicate affairs as have occupied your attention, has 
shown a wonderful gift of divination, by seeing not 
what actually existed but what yet might happen. And 
now, dear friend, what do you think ought to be done, 
so that on this occasion your prophecies may fail of 
fulfilment? ” 

“ He always talks about prophecies ! I look upon 
the matter as deadly serious and he acts as if it was 
a mere nothing ! First, he brings the man to my 
house and afterwards, when misfortune has happened, 
he can only stand with his hands in his trousers’ 
pockets ! ” 

When Aunt Rika was excited, she broke forth in 
those accents of her birthplace which she managed 
so well, as a rule, to suppress. 

Jason laughed, for the little, fat aunt, in the despair 
that so ill accorded with her round pancake face, 
really looked very comical. 

“ Well, and what do you think I can do in the 
matter, beauteous lady?” 

44 Fancy asking that? You must go to the man 
and tell him he is not to come any more. That, 
Jason, is your solemn duty now ; you owe it to us ! ” 

44 Oh, do I, and if you now-?” 

44 Very well, dear Jason, if you won’t go, then I 
shall. Aunt Rika broke in as decidedly as if she 
undertook such errands every day and had long known 
where to find the culprit in Berlin’s network of streets. 

44 Let me tell you, Rika, that I believe Dr. ICossling, 
as far as I know him, is not in the habit of receiving 
ladies’ visits of a compromising character . . . but 
just let me speak-” 

44 No, please, let me speak.” 

44 Listen, dear Rika, if you will not submit to the 
speaker’s ruling I shall close the debate and proceed 
to the orders of the day.” 

But Aunt Rika was too excited to pay heed to 
parliamentary procedure, to grammar, Queen’s English 
or anything else in the world, and had, moreover. 


HETTY GEYBERT 203 

made far too good a recovery from her long wait to 
be silent on any point. So untroubled by any of 
Jason’s remonstrances, she babbled away the whole 
time he was speaking. 

“ Very well,” Jason at last concluded, “ I am, of 
course, of the opinion that it is quite unnecessary. 
But if you insist on it, then I will—just to put your 
mind at rest—go and see Kossling and gently find out 
how the wind blows—so much I will do to please 
you. But excuse me now, I really must look through 
the correspondence.” 

And as Jason spoke he—without allowing himself 
to be drawn into any further discussion—escorted' 
Aunt Rika to the door, her flow of conversation still 
continuing when she was half-way to the street and 
her nephew long since deep in the study of a com¬ 
munication from Banke & Tulpental in Frankfort, 
stating that their order had been for red spots on a 
yellow serge ground and not for yellow crosses on a 
moss-green satin. 

And whilst his aunt, quite cheerful again now after 
having relieved her feelings, was still at Bolzani s 
making up for the delay in her well-earned morning 
meal, Jason started with a feeling of sad depression 
to visit Dr. Kossling, It is true he did not really 
believe that there was any understanding between 
Hetty and Kossling, yet he was obliged to own that 
such a thing lay within the bounds of possibility, 
since these two were by no means badly matched 
in their whole personality. For the somewhat ^ quiet 
and dreaming, slightly passive nature, an inheritance 
from her mother’s family that distinguished Hetty 
from the rest of the Geyberts with their temperament 
of never-failing self-expression, would doubtless make 
her more in touch with Kossling’s inner life than he 
could believe he himself had ever been. 

Jason said this to himself as he walked along, 
turning over in his mind how he could frustrate any 
further meeting of the two without being either impolite 
or tactless. For if there was anything serious between 


204 


HETTY GEYBERT 


them—good heavens, what would be the end of it I 
Jason grew hot at the mere thought, and, regardless 
of his brand-new spats, of the rain and the puddles 
everywhere between the stones, regardless too of the 
water rushing down the gutters like a mountain torrent 
so that it could scarcely be crossed in one stride, he 
limped three or four times up and down in front 
of Kossling’s lodgings, afraid to go up—like a child 
expecting to be scolded. He would have given a 
good deal not to find Kossling. At last, however, 
he had to go in. 

Kossling lived in a small house in the New Friedrich 
Street, somewhat to one end towards the Konig dyke. 
Close to his window stood a row of elms and poplars 
overhanging the dark, narrow current of the slowly 
moving water and above which one could catch a 
glimpse of the stone figures of the Colonnades. 
But between trees and house a strange little garden 
was wedged in, amongst dwellings and courtyards, 
with a few overgrown paths and bushes that put 
on their leaves earlier and put them off later than any 
others in all the land, with a patch, too, of broad¬ 
leaved clover and coltsfoot instead of the grass 
of former days. The rusty gate was always locked 
and no one ever went in except that once Kossling 
had seen an old woman sitting there in an easy chair, 
evidently too ill to walk any farther. But that was 
some time ago, and since Kossling did not see hfer 
again and the garden remained just as quiet and 
neglected, he concluded that the old woman had by 
now found a better place. To tell the truth, the best 
of Kossling’s room was its outlook on to the leaves or, 
in winter, on to the network of bare boughs. It was 
on this account he had rented it, for its interior had 
no special points in its favour. It was only an oblong 
room with brightly distempered walls and a floor so 
old and decayed that there were great gaps between 
the boards. It was but scantily furnished with a 
few heavy pieces of old French design, a bed in 
the corner—with a canopy and thick curtains—big 


HETTY GEYBERT 


205 


enough to stow away a whole troop of grenadiers, an 
arm-chair in the centre as immovable as a boulder 
of rock, upholstered in black leather and rows of 
white buttons—a throne and afternoon resting-place 
in one—and a table fortress in the window where 
piles of books built ramparts with a full system 1 of 
loopholes and battlements, and which was so placed 
that the right hand should not cast a troublesome 
shadow on the page of manuscript. 

Kossling used to work at the table looking on to 
the green outside ; there, too, he swallowed his silent, 
cheerless meals, when he used to prop up his book 
against the inkpot far off in the middle of the table 
and devour the words with greedy eyes. A few 
wooden chairs with tall, thin, curved legs and dainty 
openwork backs did not enter into any competition 
with the antediluvian pieces, but stood in the comers 
like children in disgrace ; even the lithographs in 
little grained birchwood frames on the wall—Blunte 
as Don Juan and Sonntag of Dondorf as Selika in 
, Oberoti —showed the same modest demeanour in 
common with the four little silhouettes of school friends 
that hung opposite in their narrow gold frames. 

Bed, easy chair and table, divided between them 
the sole and absolute rule of the white-walled room 
with its decaying floor and fluttering, thin muslin 
curtains. 

Kossling disliked them for their lack of pleasant 
sociability, for they always acted as if they did not 
see him or treated him with supreme condescension. 
If it had not been for the green branches outslijde 
and the neglected little garden below he would have 
moved long since, but these two things almbst brought 
about a reconciliation again whenever he had had a 
difference of opinion with table, bed or easy chair. 

Jason Geybert found Kossling at home. For when 
it began to rain Kossling had been obliged, willy- 
nilly, to betake himself home at last. Until then he 
had been wandering about, Heaven knows where, the 
whole night through, not really master of his actions. 


206 


HETTY GEYBERT 


In the Zoological Gardens he had run against the 
trees, thrown his arms round them and talked to them ; 
then he had for at least half an hour followed some 
man until he had frightened him 1 ; afterwards he had 
stood for a very long time in front of the Jagor 
gaming-house in the principal street and laughed 
contemptuously at all the crew still going in and 
coming out, filled with pride, because not one of the 
singers who passed him knew that he was a king 
in comparison with all those who threw away in one 
night more than he spent in a month. All the 
tenderness, too, of which he was capable had burst 
forth in words and found its highest expression in 
the one name of Hetty. Over and over again he tried 
to conjure up her picture—leaning against the orchard 
fence, crossing the courtyard in front of him, running 
away from him in the park, walking quite close in 
front of him on the meadow path, bending her head 
by the pond, and, last of all, tripping up the little 
wooden steps—whilst he, in the darkness, leant his 
head against a tree. 

Sometimes he fancied he could still distinctly feel 
her warm breath against his cheek, and he looked to 
see if she was not walking by his side. 

Then he would lose himself in long dreams of the 
future and picture their life together in all its sweet 
familiarity, at breakfast in the morning with Hetty 
in a gay morning frock on the opposite side of the 
snowy tablecloth ; and on it he could see quite 
distinctly a glass dish of golden honey standing before 
him. Honey with his morning coffee had always 
been the first and foremost of his still unfulfilled' 
desires, and now he laughed as he found himself 
longing for it once more. 

Then again fear and oppression laid their heavy 
hands upon him and he cudgelled his brains to find 
out what he could do to win Hetty. He would carry 
her off home just as she was ; he would come as a 
rich man, full of renown, and break down all 
opposition ; he would write comedies—little things 


HETTY GEYBERT 207 

that people would act everywhere—that would bring 
in some money. And already in fancy he began to 
plot out little trifles. Then, all at once, he was sure 
that Hetty would never see him again, because he was 
not good enough for her, and to this he indeed 
assented, so that he had not a single thought of 
resentment, but only gratitude for the fleeting gift 
of her beauty. At last—as he wandered in more and 
more distant and unfamiliar streets—he reached devious 
and distant domains of his mind until to end with, 
here as there, in the outer as in his inner world, 
he no longer had any idea where he was. As soon 
as it began to rain he turned his face homewards, but 
when at last he had groped his way up, grey dawn 
was peeping into his room and Kossling had no 
longer any desire to go to bed then. 

He unbuttoned his coat, sat down in the arm-chair 
with his cheek pressed against its cold, black leather, 
and slept for a short couple of hours—a refreshing, 
almost dreamless slumber. When he once more 
rubbed his eyes into wakefulness, he was gay in a 
moment and had left the wakeful night and its anxious 
thoughts far behind him. 

For Kossling belonged to those people who 
never grow tired. Everything physical was quite a 
secondary consideration with him ; whether he got 
enough to eat or had to go hungry, whether he had 
money in his pocket or scarcely one copper to rub 
against another, was really not of vital importance 
to him and he made nothing of it. 

He ought to have had some strenuous work as his 
calling in life—from morn till eve behind the plough, 
at the anvil or on horseback ; that would have suited 
him, for he was just made for such hard work, but 
in his present state he was like nothing but a dagger 
in its sheath. All his desires and actions were but 
the overflow of unused power, and that often made 
him peevish and depressed, irresolute and moody. 

Now, on this morning, he felt the burden of it 
doubly heavy. As long as he alone was affected 


208 


HETTY GEYBERT 


he did not feel responsible to anyone. After all, 
what did he matter ! But, suddenly, that was all 
changed, and now, for the first time, he felt the heavy 
responsibility of wasted years as a dark, evil shadow 
cast by his newly found happiness in the early sunlight. 

In this state Jason Geybert found him. 

They both felt equally awkward as they went 
towards each other, for hitherto they had always met 
in public, and Kossling had a shrewd suspicion as 
to the purpose of this visit. 

He got up slowly from the table, on which stood 
his breakfast barely touched. He pushed it, his books 
and writing-paper a little to one side, as if to make 
some sort of order for his visitor, before he went to 
meet Jason. 

It is kind of you, Herr Geybert, to keep your 
promise to come and look me up. Will you sit down 
m Jhe easy chair? Yes, I am ready very pleased.” 

No, my friend, I would rather join you at the 

tabie for a little. Just go on quietly with your 

business \ I only came to see what you were doing. 
You have utterly disappeared lately, you know. . . ’ 
But what a nice lodging you have here ; you must 
find the outlook on to the trees a help to your work * 
we always feel as if our thoughts come out of the 
trees or down from the sky—that I know.” 

Saying this, Jason, before Kossling could prevent 
him, had fetched one of the little, curved-leg chairs 
out of the corner, lifted it with one hand and placed 
it at the table in front of the books, paper and 

morning coffee. 

“ There,” he said, sitting down with the slight 

jerky movement common to all cripples, “there this 
is for me and that’’—pushing the tray in front of 
Kossling again—” is for you. Now tell me a little 
about yourself. Why have you deserted me I 
wonder ? 9 

“ I was at home for a while,” Kossling answered, 
looking thoughtfully at the rain and minutely observing 
a shabby old sparrow mournfully perched with 


HETTY GEYBERT 209 

dripping feathers on a projection of the wall. I 
was at home for a few weeks.” 

“ Well—and-?” Jason inquired, drawing out 

his interrogation as a confectioner does a long sugar - 
stick. 

“ No,” Kossling answered, “ I think not. What is 
the good of it ? Every time I feel less at home there ; 
I can’t go back any more. I don’t think anything 
will come out of it—arid I shall be too old directly.” 

Jason looked gravely in front of him. “ Perhaps 
you are right. What good would it be for you?” 

So saying, he took up one of the books and turned 
over the leaves. “ Well, and what else are you doing? 
But I won’t ask you. We are always sailing in an 
unfavourable wind, and all we can do is to tack and 
hoist the little sails on our five-master, whilst the 
wind is never strong enough for our big, fine main¬ 
sail, which is only known to us and to no one else.;**- 

“Not that,” Kossling remarked ; “ the wind is now 
quite strong enough.” And he broke off with a 
flush. 

Jason quite understood, but did not yet make for 
his goal. He lacked courage to carry out his difficult 
and trying errand, and intentionally deferred again and 
again the moment for beginning to speak about Hetty. 
He took up the books from the table, one after the 
other, talked about newspapers and ministers, about 
the King, the Academy pictures, about Hengstenberg 
and Eichhorn. 

But Kossling remained silent and depressed. He 
was quite sure that Jason had come on Hetty’s account, 
and he felt impelled to speak of her. It was her namje 
alone that came to his lips, whatever the subject 
Jason was discussing, but again and again her name 
remained unuttered. 

At last, however, when the conversation had almost 
come to a full stop, like the rain that had just abated 
outside, where the gnats’ gentle, soft music was now 
only interrupted from time to time by the louder 
splashing of the drops in the roof gutters, and when 


210 


HETTY GEYBERT 


they both sat facing each other in awkward constraint, 
Kossling could no longer resist his desire to speak 
of Hetty. 

At first his words were timid, hesitating, stammer- 
ing, but then more and more eloquent and triumphant, 
whilst all the joy of his nature broke forth and shone 
through his words. And what they were powerless 
to say was disclosed by his excitement and the tone 
of his voice. When at last he was silent, his listener 
no longer needed to ask him anything. 

Jason had not interrupted him, but had sat there 
stiff and mute with only a strange movement of his 
mouth, which Kossling did not know whether to 
interpret as mockery, indignation, pity or joy. 

Nor if Jason Geybert had been asked, could he have 
answered himself. Perhaps it had a touch of them 1 
?^ ty , for the ho P el «ssness of it all, indignation 
that Kossling did not notice the gulf that separated 
them, and contempt—a touch of the contempt that 
the calm, sober-minded person always feels for the 
dreamer—and, added to all, emotion and joy at 
the drama of young passion in which Jason had 
a share, for he felt as though Hetty, her very self 
appeared in Kossling’s words. 

Kossling watched Jason’s lips anxiously to hear 
his judgrnent but he kept them firmly closed as if 
no word should ever escape them ; then he got up and 
limped to and fro, to and fro, to and fro—always 
on a creaking, ill-fitting board—from the door to the 
window, from the window to the door, whilst Kossling 
leant against the table and gazed up at the grey 
rain-douds. And he gripped the edge of the table 

faled y him Steady hlmsdf ’ for his heart had suddenly 

, would have spoken yes or no—no 

doubt he had his inner feelings of approval or dissent 
but this silence and the continual clap, clap up 
and down the boards oppressed him and broke his 
power to contradict; and still Jason Geybert kept on 
limping from door to window, from window to door 


HETTY GEYBERT 


211 


Kossling stood with his back to him, his eyes fixed 
on the grey rain-clouds, on nothing but that dark 
wall above the tree-tops and the little stone figures 
of the Colonnades until he felt two great hot tears 
creeping down his cheeks. 

At last, however, there stood Jason Geybert at 
his side. Yet Kossling still looked straight in front 
of him and never turned his eyes until Jason had 
finished—and Jason came to no speedy end. 

He said he could not simply shake his hand and 
wish him happiness, for he was, to tell the truth, older 
and looked at things differently. He shared Kossling’s 
joy, of course, fully and sincerely, and he could under¬ 
stand how that must fill his heart, must indeed be 
a guiding star whose light would never fail to brighten 
his life ; in very truth he would find in this such an 
overflowing measure of happiness as nothing could 
destroy : anything else that might happen would only- 
sink away in it like a stone in the ocean. Hq was 
not too thick-skinned to understand and respect that, 
and, moreover, to feel its appeal. 

Yet he must just say something else as well, some¬ 
thing that would seem to Kossling hard and prosaic* 
and yet it had to be said. He assumed that Kossling’s 
love for his niece was real and sincere and that he 
esteemed and reverenced her as well, so that he 
would waste no words on that, and for this very reason 
he hoped Kossling would agree with him. . . . 
“ Hetty Geybert is not a girl to be flirted with. That* 
I am sure, is your full conviction too. And, Doctor, 
amongst us such a thing is not done. It would 
indeed be such a bad return for me and my brother 
that I feel sure that can never have been your 
intention. ” 

“ I personally shall not like you less after this, and 1 , 
to tell the truth, X. would quite gladly see you Hetty’s 
husband ; that says a good deal, for I know no one 
else to whom I would give her. But the decision 
does not rest with me.” 

“ Let us, dear Doctor, for a moment call a spade 


212 HETTY GEYBERT 

a spade and give commonplace facts commonplace 
consideration. You are a promising young writer— 
isn't that so ?—living a simple, unpretentious life, really 
apart from and a stranger to the world that you 
describe and criticise. You came into my brother’s 
house, made my niece’s acquaintance, and you both 
felt a mutual attraction. These are the simple facts. 
Yet, when all is said and done, you do not belong 
to each other. You do not belong to the life of the 
middle-class, and Hetty is so firmly planted in it 
that she cannot be uprooted. 

“ You were in the Castle Park only yesterday. 
Did you happen to notice by the castle the beautiful 
old hydrangea with its great heads of mauve 
blossoms ? ” 

Kossling still kept his eyes fixed on the clouds 
and only answered by a very slight inclination of his 
head. He felt, indeed, now that he ought to be 
ashamed, that he had treated Jason Geybert in a 
criminal way or like a m&n of whom he had lately read 
who, after begging for a night’s lodging, had on the 
next morning stolen his host’s purse and watch ; his 
own conduct, he felt, had been equally contemptible. 

Yes, continued Jason, “ its quite unusual beauty 
attracted your attention. Would you take this plant 

that is carried at every rough breeze into the 
conservatory to plant it out in the forest? And do 
you think it would prosper there? ” 

Kossling shook his head. 

Well, you see, it is somewhat the same with 
Hetty, and all you can give her is forest soil, hard 
and stony. You caught a glimpse of my brother’s 
house that evening—enough, perhaps, to write a novel 
about it—but, after all, you saw nothing. For, believe 
me, Hetty spends more on frocks and gloves in the 
year—and that without any discussion, solely as a 
matter of course—than you scrape together with mtich 
difficulty for your whole living. It is a simple 
necessity for her, and all that enchants you in her 
now would fade away if she had to sink into poverty 


HETTY GEYBERT 213 

and anxiety. I think you have not told yourself this— 
if indeed you have told yourself anything/’ 

“ If you really love my niece Hetty—and I take 
your word for it-—then, for that very reason, you 
cannot assume this responsibility.” 

Jason stopped here, as if expecting contradiction, 
and indeed it looked as though Kossling meant to 
speak, and made the effort, but not a sound cante 
from his lips. 

“ Moreover, when you go to my brother on his 
return and speak to him, I can, alas, tell you now, in 
advance, his decision, for to all other obstacles is added 
the one other that you are a Christian.” 

Kossling started. 

“ You think that we should be broad-minded 
enough to disregard this outer accident. Perhaps ! 
But then you forget a certain pride, inherent in our 
family, that we are looked upon here and respected 
as Jews. If my father had allowed himself and us 
to be baptized, as he was so often urged to do, 
we might to-day have a title and be privy councillors. 
That we have not done so, nor crept to the Cross, 
nor in any way sold our convictions, whether for 
pleasure or profit, is our pride, and we would not 
have it relinquished by our family in the days to 
come. You can understand that, I am sure ! ” 

Kossling bowed his head in grave and slow 
acquiescence. 

“ But, Kossling, although I can give you so little 
hope of success, rest assured that I wish you well 
and will do all in my power to help you and Hetty, 
for it no longer is a matter in which you alone are 
concerned. You may trust me ; I know my own 
people better than you do, and if anyone at all can 
be of use to you, I am the man.” 

“ Yet one thing you must first promise me, Kossling, 
on your word of honour, as man to man. Until the 
decision has been made in your favour, you must not 
venture to approach Hetty again, either personally 
or by letter. If you will promise this, I, in return, 


2X4 HETTY GEYBERT 


will promise to speak on your behalf and to do 
whatever lies in my power for you. 

“ If we successful, then the pain of the short 

separation will be at once forgotten ; if we fail, then 
it will be easier for you and Hetty, for every additional 
word and hour together would be a sin against Hetty. 

How you look at me, Kossling I But if you will 
think over it quietly, you will grant I am right. 

a couple of days—at latest a week—my brother 
will be back again. At the first opportunity of a 
quiet talk with him, I will speak for you and Hetty/' 
Jason had said all this very quietly and slowly in 
a thoughtful, fatherly tone—he had endeavoured so 
to choose and order his words as to avoid all possibility 
of wouading Kossling. 

As a matter of fact, Jason had not expected to 
hear what he had been told—at least he had not thought 
that Hetty and Kossling could have already turned 
their teelings for each other into words—and he faced 
his friend with an inward sense of hopelessness and 
desperation, whatever his outward quiet and ealm 
might be. Nor was he by any means so full of 
hope as he now pretended ; indeed, it was only that 
he would not own, even to himself, how sad he 
felt at this love affair between Hetty and Kossling 
for both of whom he wished the best this world 
can offer. 


He was surprised himself at the skill with which 
he had maintained the dignified pose of family uncle- 
tor m the depths of his mind, he heard very different 
words, far less guarded and far less reasonable, that 

Xf/f a £f m and , again: , “ If onl y y° u Iove ^ 

other—if only you love each other. . 

Then I have your promise. Doctor,” Jason 
as Kossling still did not answer 
Will you really do that, Herr Geybert? Really— 
really and do you think—do you think it ? ” 
Kossling exclaimed. 

Jason shrugged his shoulders. “You have mv 
word, you know, Kossling ; whatever lies in my power 


HETTY GEYBERT 


215 


shall be done. But who can know the result, dear 
friend? Now think of what you have promised me.” 

Kossling looked at him with entreaty in his eyes. 
“Dear Herr Geybert, must that really be?” 

“Yes, I think so, if you do not wish to ruin any 
prospects of success that you may have. In any case, 
it would be nothing but expedient, even if diplomacy, 
did not absolutely demand it.” 

And he held out his hand to Kossling, who, with 
some hesitation, grasped it. 

Heaven knows he felt as if he would rather fall 
on Jason’s shoulder and weep his heart out. Although 
for weeks and months now he had been brooding 
over this, he felt, all at once, that he had really 
thought of nothing at all and that all Jason had said 
to him was new and strange, for he had never looked 
at it in that light. 

Jason went on talking to him for a time ; indeed, 
as soon as he thought that all might end well he 
became almost confidential—an attitude very rare in 
him—but the moment the opposite conviction gained 
the upper hand his manner grew cool and formal 
again directly. 

He told Kossling he must not creep away from 
him any more, that they must see one another more 
often, and he proposed to fix a time when they could 
always meet : at Kranzler’s, Steheli’s, Bolzani’s, 
Drucker’s—wherever Kossling pleased. He would 
have more leisure now, and surely it wasn’t right 
that two people who had so much in common should 
see so little of each other. 

His quick, gay words showed plainly enough that 
Jason was anxious to turn Kossling’s thoughts into 
another channel, but the latter’s speech always flew 
back again to the one topic : Hetty. He wanted to 
hear a hundred things about her from Jason ; but 
Jason gave evasive answers, knowing, as he said to 
himself, that he could not reconcile it with his position 
as uncle to fan the flame of a passion that had not 
so far received the family’s approval. 


216 


HETTY GEYBERT 


At last he took his leave, giving Kossling to under¬ 
stand that in his absence everything went topsy-turvy 
at Solomon Geybert & Co’s., and that it was high 
time he returned, like Odysseus of old, weapon in 
hand, to punish all offenders. 

As he stumbled down the dark, narrow staircase, 
the words of the high priest, Aaron, suddenly shot 
through his mind : “Li onauchi ki adabair ” (“ Who 
am I that I should speak ! ”). It was with a very heavy 
heart—for the conversation had been a great strain— 
no longer humming and whistling as in the morning, 
but with his eyes fixed in deep thought on the pave¬ 
ment, that Jason limped past the houses to Louis 
Drucker’s. 

Here, in the midst of the guests’ loud laughter— 
it was one of Drucker’s good days and he was holding 
forth at length about the last dog-races in his garden 
near Potsdam, when he had handicapped the quickest 
dog by hanging round his neck a complete edition 
of Joel Jacobi’s works, bound in pigskin—in the 
midst of the noise, Jason, whilst drinking a bottle 
of Chambertin, took out his silver pencil-case and 
scribbled a note to Rika, in which he informed his 
sister-in-law that on this occasion her prophetic gift 
had led her astray and that consequently from now 
on he nevermore intended to follow her lead. 

For Jason said to himself that, in any case, Rika 
would have the chance of a long tete-k-tete with her 
husband before he could—and he was anxious that 
Solomon should not be biassed beforehand. 

Kossling, meantime, was sitting in his room, his 
elbows on the table and his hands pressed against 
his temples, gazing fixedly at the pages of the letter 
he would now not send to Hetty. Yet he had so 
much to say to her that he had forgotten and for 
which he thought he had had no time the day before. 
Hope and despair alternated in him like heat and cold 
in a fever patient. Kossling felt that in a moment 
all had been changed ; what had been his own most 
private possession was now a ball for everyone to 


HETTY GEYBERT 


217 


kick, desecrated and soiled by people who had, truth 
to tell, no concern at all with it and whom he regarded 
with complete indifference, if not with aversion. And 
the worst of it was that Hetty’s picture lost some of 
its charm, in consequence of this interference, as she 
slowly slipped out of his hands and returned to those 
others ; but this was only momentary, and -then he 
felt he must seek pardon for such blasphemy on 
his knees and once more resumed his worship with 
the word : “ Hetty.” Towards evening he got up, 

went to Spandau Street and waited for Jason outside 
Geybert & Co’s., to ask him if his brother was still 
not back from his journey and if he had still not 
had a talk with him. At the same time he meant to 
ask Jason to release him from' his promise. Yet, 
although he waited and waited, and book-keepers, 
apprentices, clerks and porters came, still there was 
no Jason, and one of them, in answer to Kossling’s 
inquiry, said that Herr Jason was never at business 
in the afternoon. 

“ But no doubt everything will be different again 
when the old man is back by the end of next week.” 

* * * * * 

But Solomon came—not a soul knew why—sooner 
than they expected ; no later than Saturday forenoon, 
although it had been said that he would not be back 
before the middle of the next week. He drove 
straight up to his business premises, handed Jason a 
breastpin with a mosaic of little brown, green and 
white stones representing—according to the owner’s 
fancy—a dog’s head, a landscape or a basket of 
flowers ; moreover, he presented him with a beautiful 
drinking-cup of red Bohemian glass, with pictures 
stamped out on it. The Louisa, Franz, Salt and Meadow 
springs, as well as the bath-house, were each represented 
in a circle for general admiration, one and all of 
them little temples with cupolas, numerous small 
windows and pillars like so many toothpicks, and on 
the other side there was even imprinted in deep 


218 HETTY GEYBERT 

lettering: “Jason Geybert,” and underneath: “In 
Karlsbad^ see, I thought of thee ! It was a splendid 
exemplar of drinking-cups—quite two pounds in 
weight—and between brothers worth at least three 
thalers and eight heavy groschen. 

It was a present to delight every Karlsbad visitor, 
but for Jason, who had no interest in or liking for 
either Karlsbad, Marienbad, Franzensbad, Schlangenhad 
or Elster, it was a trifle inappropriate. All the same, 
Jason said he thought it was a wonderful cup—he 
loved red glass ; he had long wished for something 1 
like that, and he would keep the cup on his writing- 
table for his spills, so that he would always have it 
under his very eyes. 

Solomon at once plunged headlong into business 
talk, wanted to know hundreds of things of which 
Jason was completely ignorant, had a number of 
complaints and grievances about things forwarded 
to Leipzig, and in such a mood Jason would not 
trouble him with Kossling, seeing, as he told himself, 
that it would be much better and more conducive to 
success to choose a quieter hour for this subject. 
Jason could not discover whether Solomon knew about 
it already, but he was inclined to think he did. It 
is true Solomon never said a word to lead to this 
conclusion, but Jason had a firm conviction that it 
was correct. 

As he sat opposite Solomon, Jason became conscious 
for the first time of the difficulty of the mission he 
had undertaken * for although there was never any 
disagreement between the two brothers, yet as a result 
of the difference in age between them and the long 
years that Solomon had run in double harness, they 
could not fail to grow apart. And in this particular 
matter Jason could only reckon on a favourable hearing 
if he met^ with complete understanding. But when 
he recognised the gravity in Solomon’s face, whilst 
he, turning over the pages of the order and dispatch- 
books as if God had first created the firm of Geybert 
& Co., and then, after that, everything else in this 


HETTY GEYBERT 


219 


world—when he saw that, it seemed to Jason, after 
all, exceedingly doubtful whether his intercession for 
Hetty and Kossling would have a successful issue. 

In any case, he would wait for a more propitious 
hour. 

* * * * * 

Towards midday, Hetty was sitting at the window 
and two butterflies were playing before her eyes down 
in the front garden, round the monkshood, stretching 
its stiff blue flower-stalks out in the sunshine. 
Suddenly, however, one flew off, hurried over to the 
yellow-green lime-tree, mounted from branch to 
branch in slow hesitation, yet enticed by the sweet 
scent, until at last it soared into the sky, hanging like 
a bright and dazzling polished steel shield above the 
tree. But the other fluttered a couple of times over 
the blue bush until it ended its search by hanging on 
to some blossom and sipped its nectar. 

Hetty watched them with a strange sensation which 
she could not herself understand, and as she chanced 
to look up, Uncle Solomon was just latching the 
little wooden gate behind him and the carriage that 
had brought him was just about to drive back. 

He was wearing a thin English travelling - -cape 
and a grey peaked cap ; looked very sunburnt, fresh 
and young as he greeted Hetty with a broad smile. 
Hetty, in her delight, called out his name so lustily 
that Aunt Rika, taking her after-dinner snooze in 
the red room, sprang up in alarm and stuck out of 
the window into bright sunlight a puffy, drowsy face, 
a white nightcap and a lace-trimmed bedjacket ; when 
she saw Solomon standing close to her in the wooden 
porch she did not know for the moment whether she 
was awake or still dreaming. 

What confusion followed, what kisses and questions 
in the passage between the brightly and lightly clad 
Aunt Rika, Hetty and the gentleman, who looked 
like an English lord, all under the eye of Frau 
Konnecke, who was surveying the scene through the 


220 


HETTY GEYBERT 


peep-hole in her own door. And Solomon had almost 
to force his way through the doorway, so impeded 
was he on every side by Aunt Rika’s flabby, capacious 
form. 

Hetty told the maid and went into the kitchen 
herself to make the coffee and add a little sal volatile 
to it. For as her uncle had been in Karlsbad it 
was only natural he should be a little spoilt as regarded 
coffee ; indeed, if he had not since been in Leipzig, 
there would have been no satisfying him. So it had 
become a household tradition that, every year, Hetty 
should come to the rescue and by slow degrees 
accustom Uncle Solomon once more to the family 
brew. 

As Hetty, mindful of this, was without delay dis¬ 
appearing into the kitchen, her uncle called after her 
not to be too long with the coffee as he must go 
back to business “at once.” 

Aunt Rika raised an emphatic protest, but Solomon 
satisfied her by explaining that where so much had 
been neglected he was afraid he would lose his best 
customers if the goods were not dispatched that day 
or on Monday. 

When Hetty returned, her aunt had a new lace 
shawl over her shoulders and on her own place lay 
a bright pink card-box stationery-case, imprinted with 
a delicate ornamentation of butterflies, tendrils, cupids 
and birds. On opening it she found inside some 
dozen sheets of writing-paper, each adorned with a 
fine little steel engraving in a tiny frame of flowers : 
a basket of fruit, a lover on his knees offering a 
bouquet to his fair lady, a maiden with a sweet 
expression dreaming over her lover’s letter or pen 
in hand and the same sugary expression, thinking of 
the writer, two children carrying flowers, and a dog 

with a basket in his mouth running before them 1 _ 

all very pretty and good engravings in their stamped 
garlands of white flowers. 

Hetty thanked him and said she would put it away 
carefully it would be a terrible pity to spoil such 


HETTY GEYBERT 


221 


paper by writing on it ; but Uncle Solomon replied 
she must not do that—perhaps she could use it, and 
he would be very glad if a speedy opportunity came 
for her to send off such fine and delicate letters. 
Aunt Rika sat by in silence, but with her eyes 
that plainly said : “ God grant it ! ”' 

This embarrassed Hetty, but, at the same time, gave 
her a gleam of hope. Indeed, if her uncle had not 
had so much to tell of old and new acquaintances, of; 
social gatherings and the summer theatre—which was 
almost as good as the Theatre Royal—she would 
have told him all that was in her heart, no matter 
whether her aunt was there or not. But no such 
opportune opening came again ; for, before they had 
got really warmed up, and before the great Meissen 
coffee-pot had poured its last drop, Uncle Solomon 
pulled out his watch and asked if Hetty would be 
good enough to see if his cab was at the gate. 

When Hetty brought word back that it was. Uncle 
Solomon at once got up—in spite of Aunt Rika, who 
thought it a most uncomfortable arrangement—and 
Hetty went with him to the carriage door, for Aunt 
Rika, always somewhat slow in the mysteries of her 
toilet, had not meanwhile found time to fit herself 
for the public eye, so could only watch Solomon’s 
departure from her bedroom window. 

As Uncle Solomon stepped into the cab, he patted 
Hetty’s cheek in fatherly fashion, once more saying 
he would try not to be too late coming back and 
meantime she must go a good long walk, for she did 
not look at all as though she had been having a seven 
weeks’ summer holiday in Charlottenburg, but rather 
as though she never came outside her cellar in sorhe 
back street. 

Hetty answered with a laugh that she did not think 
it was so bad as that, but she slept so badly now, 
perhaps because the nights were so hot. 

All afternoon, right up to the evening, Hetty sat 
at the window, watching, as keenly as a little dog 
waiting for his master, the road from Berlin, and 


222 


HETTY GEYBERT 


thinking that every carriage appearing under the trees 
on the high road was certainly the same as came at 
midday. But each one invariably drove past, until 
at last Uncle Solomon, who had taken one of the 
suburban cabs at the City Gate, was standing in the 
garden again without her having seen him come. 

At supper Uncle Solomon was full of tales of 
Karlsbad, and Aunt Rika hastened to fill up the scanty 
pauses with Berlin news. Hetty would never have 
believed what a number of insignificant people could 
within seven weeks get engaged, marry, come into 
money or die and in addition find time to commit 
crimes of every description, from forgery on parents, 
adultery, daughters’ questionable visits to the country, 
down to quite simple and ordinary mortal sins. 

In this conversation, therefore, there was not the 
least chance or opportunity for Hetty ; not the slightest 
opening she could utilise and develop further. And 
before she knew where she was her uncle and aunt 
had got up to say good night, for Uncle Solomon 
explained that he had had a strenuous day and began 
to notice such exertion more than he used. 

But his weariness could not, after all, have been 
so far-reaching, for as Hetty sat at the window in 
her bedroom, still lit up by the last gleams of day¬ 
light, looking into the silvery foliage around or lifting 
dreamy, anxious eyes to the dark tree-tops or to the 
pale-green sky of this moonlit summer evening, she 
heard the two talking together for hours in the next 
room. No ordinary talk it seemed to her, no simple 
communication, but consideration of some question, 
an excited discussion in which neither of them talked 
for long together, but each constantly interrupted the 
other. Hetty could perhaps have heard what it was 
all about if she had listened, but that she would not 
do. So only a word or broken phrase reached her 
ear from time to time as she heard the names of 
Jason and Julius, her own and Kossling’s—she had 
not made a mistake—Kossling’s ; but then the 
voices sank to a low whisper, her uncle gave 


HETTY GEYBERT 


223 


a long, loud yawn, the pauses grew longer, and at 
last the conversation melted into a few single, weary 
words, until Hetty was left alone to silence and the 
bright summer moonlight. 

Then Hetty got up from her window-seat and, 
as she undressed, she firmly resolved to speak to 
her uncle and was quite pleased at the plan of 
campaign which occurred to her of going a walk with 
him early next day in the park or garden, and then, 
when walking at his side, without needing to look at 
him, she would quite calmly tell him everything—and 
Uncle Solomon would certainly take her part ; he 
would be sure to go a walk with her, for the next day 
was Sunday, the day when he had always done so. 

For the first time for many a long day Hetty slept 
soundly and peacefully. 

Uncle Solomon and Aunt Rika came later than 
usual to breakfast, where Hetty was waiting on tenter¬ 
hooks to ask her uncle to go a walk. But Aunt 
Rika began by saying that Hetty must make all 
preparations for visitors to dinner and possibly for 
the afternoon and evening as well. Ferdinand would 
be certain to come, Jason and Uncle Eli too, perhaps ; 
nor was it impossible that they would also see Julius. 
What should she give them ? Pigeons ? There was 
nothing on these, nor was goose anything very grand. 
Aunt Rika was inclined to have saddle of mutton and 
ducks, something a little out of the ordinary. Perhaps 
Frau Konnecke would let her use her kitchen fire as well, 
and Hetty must see if she could not get some really 
good fruit ; she must order a cherry cake and whipped 
cream at Weise’s as well as pastry shapes for their 
own preserved fruits ; and they must get some more 
table beer too. 

Hetty answered she would do all this, but first she 
would like to go a little stroll in the park and she 
would be so glad if uncle would come too, as he 
always used to, for she had seen nothing of him yet. 

But Aunt Rika asked quite sharply whether it was 
she or Hetty who had married her husband. “ Oh, 


224 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Aunt Rika/’ Hetty replied, “ I never meant to dispute 
your right to uncle, but I thought it would be so 
nice.** 

44 Another day, Hetty,” her uncle interposed. “ You 
see, I shall be staying here some time yet.” 

44 Oh, Uncle, do ? ” Hetty pleaded. 

44 But, Hetty,” her aunt exclaimed in her shrillest 
tones, 44 whatever are you thinking about? When do 
you imagine they will come? Ferdinand won’t be 
a minute later than twelve o’clock, and you know he 
is unendurable all day if he does not get his dinner 
by half-past.’* 

44 But I should so like-” Hetty again ventured 

to make her modest protest. 

44 Did ever anyone hear the like?” Rika asked 
more as a burst of eloquence than with any expec¬ 
tation of a reply, and repeated with an indignant 
shake of her muslin cap : 44 Did ever anyone hear 

the like?” 

44 But, my child,” Uncle Solomon inquired, coming 
to his wife’s support, 44 do you expect your aunt to do 
it all by herself?” 

44 Very well then—very well—I will stay at home.” 
And Hetty, nearer to tears than laughter, got up from 
her chair. 

44 But won’t you have your breakfast, dear Hetty? ” 

Hetty did not answer her aunt as she went out of 
the room. 

Solomon and Rika looked at one another, Solomon 
with only a nod, but Rika’s eyes plainly asked : 44 Now, 
Solomon, do you think I was wrong?” 

* * * * * 

And Aunt Rika was to be right in everything . . . 
for, not merely at twelve o’clock, but sharp on the 
stroke of half-past eleven, not one, but two carriages— 
a large four-seated landau and a pretty little one- 
horse phaeton—stopped at the corner of Rosinen 
Street. In the yellow landau, drawn by a pair of 
chestnut horses, the seat of honour was completely 


HETTY GEYBERT 225 

filled by the ample forms of Ferdinand and Janey. 
In celebration of Solomon’s return Ferdinand’s spirit 
of enterprise had persuaded him to don white nankeen 
trousers and put a new English straw sailor hat on 
his head, which had already been subjected to its 
usual summer shave. Janey, too, was in white, a 
white crepe with a low neck, trimmed with pale-blue 
flowers, and her head was covered by a yellow straw 
hat with blue strings to match the flowers ; blue, 
so Aunt Janey thought, had always been her colour, 
but Aunt Minnie maintained that her niece Janey 
ought to be at least twenty years younger to wear 
blue^. Nor had she grown any thinner lately. 

Max and Wolfgang occupied the opposite seat, the 
former with the calm indifference of some royal 
invader surveying a conquered town with the victor’s 
pride, and the latter, pale and tearstained, for he 
and Jenny had waged a war of succession as to 
their respective rights to the throne beside John the 
driver. Jenny, thanks to her father’s interference, 
which was always in favour of his daughter rather 
than of his sons, had come off victorious, whilst Wolf¬ 
gang had been defeated with great loss and literal 
heavy blows. 

In the second little carriage, with its cream-coloured 
steed, some few yards behind the first, Eli and Minnie 
were seated. Eli, with a large umbrella in his hand, 
a blue one with a rattan handle and big yellow knobs 
at the end of every rib, kept up a continual flow of 
annoyed and angry grumbling over the wretched 
spavined jade Ferdinand had set to draw their carriage, 
a creature that might be put to drag potatoes, but 
certainly not honest folk. His neighbour kept on 
nudging him all through the drive to be quiet, for 
those in front could hear every word, but Eli was not 
to be dissuaded : it was, he said, an insult and a 
scandal. 

The narrow flap-seat was occupied by Jason, who 
had been strangely silent all the time and sometimes 
had even caught himself repeating his thoughts aloud 

15 


226 


HETTY GEYBERT 


in an undertone ; but, as the crowning point, up on 
the box-seat the new cousin Julius sat in all his 
glory sideways on the tiny corner free, with one leg 
almost outside on the low step. He busied himself 
explaining to the stableman how he ought to drive ; 
no one knew how, here in Berlin, but he ought to see 
for once how they drove where he lived, then he’d 
be astonished indeed ! 

When the carriages stopped at Uncle Ferdinand’s 
order, the visitors all got down and out, according 
to their various seats, ages and temperaments, the 
young legs quick and agile, the old feeling their way 
with slow caution, everyone stretching arms and legs 
and getting used to their own feet once more, whilst 
Ferdinand instructed the drivers where to put up and 
to look well after the horses. 

When Hetty, inside the house, heard the confusion 
of voices, she took off her apron and ran to meet it ; 
as she threw open the door they were all thronging 
up the little wooden stair, Uncle Eli, the big blue 
umbrella in his hand, first of all, then Minnie in black 
silk, Ferdinand and his flock, and last of all, Jason 
and the new cousin. 

The sight of the whole company together was a 
slight shock to Hetty, but then she thought that, after 
all, there would be enough for everybody. 

“ Good morning, ladies and gentleman ! ” she ex¬ 
claimed quite gaily, for the busy morning’s work had 
done her good. 

“ Good morning, Hetty ; welcome to the green 
fields ! ” roared Ferdinand as he slapped his white 
nankeen trousers. 

“ Well, Uncle Eli,” Hetty teased in good-humoured 
fun, “ you’ve brought a big enough umbrella ! ” 

“ Because it’s going to rain, my daughter,” Eli 
answered very gravely. 

‘‘Oh no,” returned Hetty incredulously, glancing 
at the calm blue sky. 

“ Well, if I tell you it is, you can rely on it.” 

“ First, then, I’ve had my rheumatic pains ; secondly. 


HETTY GEYBERT 


227 


I always look at the barometer at Petitpiere’s . . . 
and if it stands at ‘ set fair * I know it will rain ; and 
thirdly, my daughter—as you will have read yourself 
too—the pyrotechnist Bohme advertises a monster 
firework display to-night in The Tents. Did you 
ever know it not rain then? .What do you say now, 
Hetty? ” 

But Hetty had no time to answer before the others: 
came crowding round her. 

Jenny wanted to kiss Hetty and snuggled up to 
her at once—she was almost up to her shoulder 
already. Ferdinand at once took advantage of an 
uncle’s privileges. Aunt Minnie was too much taken 
up with her own affairs to give Hetty any formal 
greeting. “ Hetty,” she exclaimed, “ I tell you it’s 
absolutely impossible to live with that man ! ” But 
on her lips that meant as much as any “ good 1 
morning.” 

Aunt Janey said that Hetty looked wonderfully 
blooming, but she forgot to take the heat of the 
kitchen-fire into account. Max and Hetty avoided 
each other at first, remembering their last encounter. 
Wolfgang came up too, and Hetty started to see the 
green pallor of the boy’s face. 

“Would you have him, Hetty?” Ferdinand ex¬ 
claimed, thinking he was making a reproof and joke 
combined, one well deserved by Wolfgang for laying 
claim to a place on the box-seat. 

“Yes, of course he can stop at once with me,’’ 
Hetty answered, drawing the boy to her side. 
“ Would you like to? ” 

“ Well, I’ve no objection,” Janey said in a tone 
as if she was doing Hetty a special favour. 

“ Agreed,” Hetty answered. “ You shall stay with' 
me from now on. I’ll manage to find a corner for 
you. But now, ladies and gentlemen, I must beg you 
to go, first of all, into the garden. Uncle and aunt 
are there, in the summer-house.” 

“ Just listen to Hetty,” Jason exclaimed, “ with 
manners like any court lady-in-waiting. 


228 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ Oh. good morning, unde.” 

“ Well, how are you, my dear friend? ” asked Jason, 
as he tapped her on the cheek. 

“ Oh, quite well, thank you,” Hetty answered slowly, 
fixing an inquiring look on Jason. 

But when Jason avoided her eyes Hetty’s heart 
sank with fear. 

“ Now, beautiful Cousin Hetty, will you permit me 
also to greet you. I have been wanting to come out 
to see you before this, but a merchant cannot always 
have the time at his disposal.” With these words and 
a deep bow, the new cousin Julius pushed his way 
to Hetty, who was standing by the door to let the 
visitors pass by. Julius was attired in quite the 
English style, with a white waistcoat, a somewhat short 
bottle-green coat and a heavy linen neckcloth with 
red spots and a hard grey hat. Berlin evidently 
suited him ; it had hammered him down into a still 
shorter, fatter and broader mould. 

“ Oh,” replied Hetty, “ I understand ; no excuses 
are necessary.” 

Jason was still standing by them, as if waiting for 
something. 

“ After you, Herr Geybert,” said Julius politely, 
making way for Jason to pass. 

“ After you,” came the sharp retort, for Julius 
had annoyed Jason all the drive. “ Besides, I hope 
I am less of a stranger here than you are.” 

The new cousin Julius smiled politely, as if he 
had been paid the most delicate compliment. For he 
had the laudable habit of being deaf to everything 
that might wound him, and so far he had found this 
of great help in getting on comfortably. 

Hetty accompanied the caravan to the courtyard 
until she heard Ferdinand slap his nankeen trousers 
and greet Solomon and Rika as well with a shout of 
“ Welcome to the green fields ! ” Then back she 
went to put on her apron again and to look after' 
the roast as well as to give out everything required 
to the extra maid who was to help with the laying 


HETTY GEYBERT 


229 


of the tables and handing round the dishes . . . from 
the little white openwork china basket down to the 
Britannia metal spoons, for the silver was all in the 
iron safe at the business. 

When Hetty had pricked the joint for the last time 
and said that it must be well basted, when she had 
once more tasted the thick soup, so full of suet 
dumplings that there was scarcely room 1 for it to boil 
up between them, when she had put another pinch 1 
of salt and pepper into the salad to give it a little 
more flavour and had made sure that the whipped 1 
cream was in a cool place—for it was a really hot 
day—she went out to summon them all. But first 
she begged Frau Konnecke to be so good as to put 
up tables on the grass in front of the acacias and to 
make some seats out of tree-stumps and boards, whilst 
dinner was going on, for they would like to have coffee 
out there afterwards. 

Jenny and Wolfgang were not to be found, but at 
last they discovered them quite hidden amongst the 
gooseberry and currant bushes. Ferdinand, in no 
measured terms, informed them that it was not 
permissible to gather fruit in other people’s gardens 
and most certainly not if it was unripe, for in the 
first case they might, it was true, not be seen, but ini 
the second, evil consequences were sure to follow. 
Jason, too, had wandered off into some corner or other 
and came up at Hetty’s summons with a couple of 
long-topped carrots which he had pulled up. Hetty 
was just going to ask him about Kossling when the 
new cousin Julius darted forward to ask if he might 
take her in to dinner. 

At the head of the procession Uncle Eli walked 
once more, still grasping his blue umbrella, and Aunt 
Janey brought up the rear with Solomon and Minnie. 
She was quite limp with heat, and asserted that she 
had never before felt it so hot in the country, but 
no doubt the garden was to blame for that, as the 
drive had been quite pleasantly cool and breezy. 
Here, however, she couldn’t breathe, the air was so 


230 


HETTY GEYBERT 


oppressive. She, at any rate, did not like the place, 
and had always preferred Schoneberg. 

But Minnie interrupted her to remark that it struck 
her as a hundred times more genteel here than out 
there amongst the Schoneberg potato-folk—that word 
“ potato-folk ” Janey would never forgive her to all 
eternity—nor did she notice that it was the least hot, 
which was no wonder, for worthy Aunt Minnie had no 
flesh on her bones and was really as small, dry and) 
shrivelled as any cricket of the field. 

But Solomon asserted that since some liked one 
thing, some another, it was impossible to decide one 
way or the other. 

A long table had been laid up amongst the gold- 
green shadows of the cool, half-dark dining-room, 
through whose wide-open windows the flies came 
buzzing in and the sound of fowls in their yard close 
by. Hetty, to make it cooler, had opened, on the other 
side of the passage, the door into her bedroom, so 
that the low branches of the chestnuts in the courtyard 
and the limes in the front beckoned to each other 
through the whole length of the house. She had 
brought up two long green sprays and laid them 
down the centre of the damask tablecloth and put 
whole bunches of blue monkshood on the table in the 
high cut glasses that lived, as a rule, on the top of 
the corner cupboard. 

Uncle Eli was the first to come in—his umbrella 
he left outside—and he was quite enthusiastic over 
Hetty’s arrangement ; even at the Royal Hotel the 
table could not look better. Then Julius came to 
ask where Hetty was going to sit, but that, he was 
told, Hetty could not yet say. 

Jason had stayed in the kitchen longer than was 
strictly necessary to wash the carrots which he meant 
—Heaven only knows why—to take home with him. 
For, even if he was occupied with serious matters 
to-day, that was surely no reason why he should be 
blind to beauty. In such matters Jason was not 
proud ; he delighted in beauty wherever he found it, 


HETTY GEYBERT 


231 


even in a simple serving-miaid. The others came 
slowly up in twos and threes, the first to take their 
seats being Jenny and Wolfgang, who, as a result 
of the common reproof dealt out to them in the 
garden, had forgotten any hostility arising from their 
rivalry for enthronement on the box-seat. Janey, how¬ 
ever, had not crossed the threshold before she 
exclaimed that Hetty’s bedroom windows must be shut 
—why, they might get apoplexy coming into such a 
draught, hot as they were from the garden—or even 
better shut the windows looking out on to the courtyard 
and so avoid the smell at meal-time. 

But then Jason grew annoyed and said the breath 
of air would not hurt anyone and without it the heat 
would be unendurable. Eli interposed to ask if the 
courtyards in Benshen were sprinkled with eau-de- 
Cologne—he didn’t notice any smell. Ferdinand also 
took part in the discussion, so that it almost looked 
as if the window question was to serve as a pretext 
for a family quarrel ; but then the two maids came 
in with the tureens and they all quickly took their 
seats without giving another thought to the shutting 
of the window's. Jason had asked to sit by Aunt 
Minnie, but was only allowed on her left side, 
because, at dinner, as she said, she must look after 
her husband. Solomon sat beside Janey, Ferdinand 
next to Rika, Julius and Hetty together at one end 
of the table, whilst the children were seated at the 
other. 

To-day they were quite amongst themselves—for 
of course Julius was one of the family—and there 
was no stranger who had to be considered by anyone 
in any way whatsoever. 

Eli refused soup, remarking in an offended tone 
that hot soups were not served nowadays. 

“ Did you ever hear such a thing? ” Minnie asked. 
“ Jason, your uncle grows queerer every day. And 
have you noticed what he has on his head, some 
sort of lump? I declare it makes me quite anxious. u 

“ Oh,” Jason replied, with a glance at the little 


232 HETTY GEYBERT 

raised boil on Eli’s forehead, “ that will go away 
again.” 

“ My son,” broke in Eli, who was to-day by no 
means so deaf as Minnie thought, but on the contrary 
hearing very well in the clear air. “ My son, one 
thing I tell you, that when you come to grow old, 
you know, you need not be surprised if some fine 
day a little orange-tree grows on your head—that’s 
the way of it.” 

Everyone laughed ; even the new cousin Julius 
joined in from politeness, although he had not the 
faintest sense of humour. 

“ Well,” said Solomon—and those who knew him 
could tell by his tone that his words had a double 
meaning—“ I am told you have made yourself of 
great use in our business ; that was indeed very 
kind of you.” 

‘‘Yes, Herr Geybert,” Julius answered politely; 
“ everyone likes to learn where they can and I was 
anxious to get a little insight into the silk department. 
In Posen we handled lots of calico and Manchester 
goods—indeed, I should like to find* the man who 
could teach me anything about them', but in silk 
goods-” 

“ Don’t you think, Ferdinand,” Aunt Rika purposely 
interrupted in a somewhat loud tone, “ that Solomon 
looks exceedingly well ? I always say : ‘ just like a 

real English lord.’ ” 

“ Well, that would be, then, the second English 
lord in our family.” 

“ How do you mean? ” Rika exclaimed in surprise, 
hoping to hear some interesting item of family history. 
“ Who is the first? ” 

‘‘Don’t you know then?” 

“ No ! ” 

“But Rika I” 

“ I don’t either,” said Solomon. 

“ Well, Jason of course.” 

“Jason? Why Jason?” Minnie loudly inquired. 

“ Well,” said Ferdinand after a considerable pause, 


HETTY GEYBERT 233 

“isn’t he a real Lord Byron? He limps, and all the 
womenfolk run after him.” 

There was a burst of laughter, especially from the 
children’s end of the table, and Jenny stamped her 
feet with joy. 

“Sit still,” Ferdinand ordered, “ or you’ll get 
something to teach you how to behave.” But no one 
could stop laughing at the joke that delighted them 
all—except Jason. For, although he might not dislike 
the mention of the second similarity—who does not 
enjoy the epic of his own success?—he was not at 
all pleased to be reminded of the first. 

“Ferdinand,” said Solomon, when the storm of 
applause had died down a little, “ I advise you ”— 
and Solomon chuckled again to himself—“ to go to 
bed, for you’ll not make a better joke than that 
to-day.” 

“ Have you all heard,” Eli began with a satisfied 
smile, “that my Minnie has got a deaf maid now?” 

“ Nonsense,” interposed Minnie. “ She is only a 
little hard of hearing ; there’s nothing remarkable in 
that.” 

“ I think it’s a very good thing,” Eli went on. 

“ Minnie can find fault with her to her heart’s content, 

and she never hears a thing. The others all went for 
that reason ; this one will stay.” 

Minnie sat there quite dumbfounded by this back- 
handed and unexpected attack on the part of her 
Eli. 

“ Well,” she managed to say at last, “ if she doesn’t 
please you, she can, of course, go again.” 

“ On the contrary, Minnie. She and I understand 
one another quite well. We only wink, and each 

of us knows what the other wants to say.” 

That was quite enough to strengthen Minnie in 

her conviction that deaf Augusta was no good, and 
that she must be got out of the house, since, as he 
himself quite calmly confessed, the creature ran after 
her Eli. 

But as the maids were heard in the passage, bringing 


234 HETTY GEYBERT 

in the next course, the conversation turned from the 
servant question to Wolfgang’s health. 

Rika said his staying with them could quite well 
be managed ; he need not drive back at all, but stay 
straight away that very evening, and his things could 
be sent the next day. 

Ferdinand impressed upon Wolfgang that he ought 
to be grateful to him for allowing this, and he hoped 
Wolfgang would not repay his paternal kindness by 
giving any cause for complaint, out here in the 
country. 

Jenny, however, felt hurt, and said how much she 
would have liked to stay. 

“ One after the other,” Ferdinand said in a soothing 
tone, for he was always generous with other people’s 
money. 

Julius tried to talk to Hetty, but she was so taken 
up with other matters, and with keeping an eye on 
the maids, that she fell sadly short in her answers. 
Then, too, she had, during the soup course, accidentally 
caught sight of his stumpy fat fingers, and the quite 
natural aversion she felt for the new cousin Julius 
came over her again and almost choked her. 

‘‘How do you like this watch, dear cousin?” the 
new cousin Julius asked, as he pulled a clumsy silver 
watch with gold rim and dial out of his waistcoat 
pocket. ‘‘Do you see the bunch of roses on it? 
It was the prettiest I could find.” 

Hetty, who in all such things had inherited know¬ 
ledge and good taste—for she, Eli, Solomon, Ferdinand 
and Jason all still wore watches from her grand¬ 
father’s business, little enamelled time-keepers, set with 
pearls and with delicate miniature paintings on the 
tiny dials that excited great admiration—Hetty saw 
at first glance that this came from Baden Market, 
where such things were dumped in their thousands. 

‘‘ Oh, very pretty,” she said politely. 

“ Well, what do you think it cost? ” 

Hetty, unaccustomed to such questions, only shook 
her head with an indignation which, however, was 


HETTY GEYBERT 


235 


quite lost on Julius, who was far too pleased with 
himself to dream of the possibility, of any criticism 
of his own person. 

“You know,” he went on, “ I shouldn’t buy such! 
a thing as a rule offhand, but, you see, I have just 
lately had a stroke of good luck. Listen, Hetty ; 
Zacharias, in Konig Street, had a sale a short 
time since—the man must have failed just as you 
came out here. As I went along Konig Street, and 
saw the bills outside, I thought : I’ll just go in 
there. So I ask to see the man’s stock—for, of course, 
I know exactly what will be of use to us in Posen— 
and get patterns of calicoes and wax-cloth, as well 
as telling them to keep the pieces a week for me. 
As I told you, I know, of course, what wall be of 
use to us in Posen ; so I send the patterns to my 
old chief and—well, to cut a long tale short, there 
were pieces that brought me in a net profit of five 
and seven thalers for each.” 

Jason had also been a listener to all this. “ Do 
you remember, Hetty, our talk of yesterday evening ? ” 

“ Oh yes, every word,” Hetty answered. “ But 
do tell me, Uncle Jason, what is your friend doing? ” 
Hetty’s heart came into her mouth as she put the 
question. 

Janey stretched her head forward in her curiosity 
to observe the two, for she was six places distant 
from Hetty. 

“ I have seen little of him lately,” Jason replied 
indifferently, “ but I hope very soon now we shall 
all get a sight of him oftener.” As he uttered the 
last words his big grey eyes looked Hetty full in 
the face, so that Hetty felt the kindness in his glance 
and smiled gratefully. 

Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, there 
had arisen an eager literary argument, in which Max 
was taking a leading part, as to which was the greater, 
Goethe or Schiller. 

Max contended that Goethe had not been a great 
man, and consequently could not be a great poet. 


236 


HETTY GEYBERT 


His moral conduct especially. . . . “ Do you hear 
the youngster, Janey ? He talks as if he really 
knew something about it,” interrupted Ferdinand ; yet 
it was evident that he was proud of Max. “ How he 
talks, to be sure ! ” 

“ Whilst Schiller’s moral conduct was an example 
of stainless purity,” Max continued in an instructive 
tone. 

M Well,” said Uncle Eli, who held his head on one 
side over the table to hear better, “ how do you 
know that? Who kept an eye on it?” 

44 But everyone says so,” Max answered the old 
gentleman with marked condescension. 

44 Now, Max, I’ll tell you something.” And Uncle 
Eli drew a note of interrogation in the air with his 
finger. 4 ‘ Schiller got on very well with the women— 
he even used to talk to them so that they could not 
understand a single word. Ask Jason.” 

Jason laughed aloud, and Hetty, too, joined in 
for the first time that day. 

"Confused harmony from strings is torn. 

Like songs of seraphim in heaven new bom, ’ 

Jason recited with exaggerated pathos. 44 Now then, 
what about your Herr Schiller, Max ? ” 

44 No doubt he knows it,” said Ferdinand, who, as 
father, did not care to have his son Max put to shame. 
44 But, children, what are we going to do after dinner? ” 

44 To begin with, there’s something more to come,” 
Rika exclaimed. 

44 Well, for my part, I can’t eat anything at all 
in this heat, Ferdinand said, helping himself to three 
slices of saddle of mutton. He had already done 
full justice to the duck. 

44 Well,” Eli remarked, 44 we can see, at any rate, 
that you force yourself not to be impolite.” 

44 Thank you, Fraulein, I’ll take a little more,” said 
Julius, stopping the maid, who would have come to 
him in any case. 44 Fraulein Hetty, I have had nothing 


HETTY GEYBERT 237 

so far to-day but a little bit of bread and a drink 
of ‘green huntsman.’” 

But Hetty gave him no answer, and went on talking 
to Jason about the books he had lent her. She 
wanted him to take some back, and could she have 
some others ? This new cousin Julius really bored 
her terribly ! To be sure, he was no concern of hers, 
but she did wish she could get rid of the unpleasant 
feeling he always gave her, a feeling as of something 
cold and wet, just as she felt at the touch of a frog 
or a smooth green caterpillar. “ Ah,” interposed the 
new cousin Julius. “If I didn’t mean to bring you 
some books ; I had put them all ready, dear Hetty.” 

Dear Hetty, however, still gave no reply, and went 
on talking to Jason. 

“ What a fine cherry cake,” Aunt Janey remarked, 
putting a large piece on Wolfgang’s plate. “ You would 
never think it came from Charlottenburg.” 

Solomon was talking again about the grand English 
acquaintances he had picked up in Karlsbad, and Eli 
was abusing the “pietists.” In his young days there 
was nothing of the kind ; the old Emperor Frederick 
had long since sent Hengstenberg packing to his proper 
place. He used always to think the world moved 
on, but he found it was always going back instead. 

Ferdinand and Max protested against this, and said 
everything showed progress. They now had English 
gas and manufactured mineral water and modern oil 
lamps—the railway Ferdinand passed over without 
mention—and the national guard and conscription. 
“Yes, no doubt,” said Eli, “it’s just the same as 
with the English steel pens. They are perhaps cheaper 
than quills, and perhaps more durable as well—but 
people can’t write properly with them.” 

Eli could afford to say that, for, in spite of his 
eighty years, he still wrote such an artistic and flowing 
hand that it was a pleasure to see it. 

Julius told how he had now bought some things 
of Glasbrenner’s for himself : The Raree-Show of 
Eighteen Hundred and Thirty-nine, Herr Buffey's Finest 


238 HETTY GEYBERT 

Day , as well as The Picnic to French-Buchholz, because 
everyone made such a fuss about them—but they hadn’t 
managed to make him laugh. 

Jason said he thought there was a certain popular 
humour in all these things—humour of a very rough' 
kind perhaps, yet very effective too, and if Glasbrenner 
had been of a little finer make and more artistic 
with his natural gifts he would have been a humorist 
of great style. But the great attraction in these 
volumes for him personally lay in Hosemann’s covers 
and copper etchings, which were much more notable 
and valuable than all Glasbrenner’s books put together. 

Hetty said that Brennglas had always greatly amused 
her, and especially The Berlin Flower Oracle. 

F—Fennel. 

“ Gentle tailor, let your flattery go, 

Or soon you’ll get from me a 4 no.’ ’* 

Jason and Hetty laughed at this, and repeated as 
duet : 

" Gentle tailor, let your flattery go. 

Or soon you'll get from me a 4 no.’ " 

But Hetty intercepted a look of disapproval from 
Aunt Rika, not, however, meant for her, but for the 
new cousin Julius, and she understood more than she 
liked. 

“ Now,” asked Solomon, “ excuse me, but is any¬ 
thing more coming?” 

“ Not here,” Hetty told him, “ but we shall be 
taking coffee, of course, later on, in the garden.” 

“ Oh dear,” Janey exclaimed, “ then such disgust¬ 
ing caterpillars fall in one’s cup ; and besides, it is 
much cooler here.” 

“We have no caterpillars in the garden,” Hetty 
answered, and I have already had the tables laid on 
the lawn. 

“ I tell you, Janey, you always want something 
changed,” Ferdinand exclaimed in a tone of disapproval 
as he rose from his chair. i 


HETTY GEYBERT 


239 


Minnie was annoyed. “ Such a person,” she 
muttered to Jason. Nothing is elegant and good 

enough for her here, yet if you go to her house, 

you may thank your stars if she even gives you carrot 
preserve.” Minnie never forgave Janey for the carrot 
preserve she had once put before her. 

“ Well,” Ferdinand again inquired, “ what shall 
we do this afternoon? ” 

“ I propose a rubber in the summer-house,” Solomon 
answered. 

“ I’ll have a little nap first,” Eli remarked. 

‘‘Where can I do that here, Hetty?” 

“ Oh, you will go with us into the Castle Park 

afterwards, won’t you?” coaxed Jenny. 

‘‘ May I join you then, Fraulein Fletty ? ” Julius put 
in. ‘‘I don’t know the park at all.” 

“ I think you will be more needed at the whist- 
table.” 

“ I never play cards, on principle,” Julius retorted. 
If I did sit down at the card-table, it would only 
be to lose my time and my money. Did you ever 
know a card-player come to much in life? I never 
did. We had one in Person, a young man, a fellow- 
apprentice of mine.” 

Then up came Jason. 

“ Now,” Hetty begged, “ do tell me a little more 
what your friend is doing now.” 

Jason looked at her with a laugh. 

‘‘ Can’t you tell me that? ” And then he patted her 
cheek. “ Hetty, Hetty, if only that turns out well.” 

Hetty looked down with flaming cheeks. 

“ Well, we shall see later on, we shall see,” Jason 
added in a kindly tone. 

Hetty lifted her head again, although her eyes were 
full of tears, but then they were joined by Janey, 
who came out of the front room. 

“ Quite nice,” she said, panting with heat, “ quite 
nice your rooms here, but decidedly cramped.” 

Uncle Eli came once more. “ Do tell me, Hetty, 
where I can get a nap here.” 


240 HETTY GEYBERT 

Hetty took him to her uncle and aunt’s room, 
where he had the choice of a couch or an arm¬ 
chair. Eli took off his white wig with great care, 
hung it over a chair-back, drew a skull-cap out of 
his pocket and put it on his bald head. This done, 
Hetty had scarcely time to cover him up with a 
travelling-rug before he had dozed off with his mouth 
open, “ only for a few minutes,” as he said, half 
asleep already. 

Outside in the garden, which lay green and golden 
in the sunshine under the pale-blue afternoon sky, 
the visitors scattered in different directions, the children 
marched off to the fruit again, and quickly disappeared 
in the close rows of raspberry-canes and gooseberry- 
bushes, where their presence was only betrayed by 
their joyous voices and Jenny’s light frock, shining 
through the bushes. 

Janey, Rika and Minnie had found very quiet, com¬ 
fortable seats in the summer-house with Eli ; Ferdinand 
was strolling up and down with Julius ; Max had 
attached himself to Jason, to tell him that very shortly 
he was going to give him something valuable of 
his to read. Hetty, however, had enough to do to 
get the coffee-table as it should be ; for Frau Konnecke 
and Emily had set it full in the sun, and she now 
had to have it brought up to the bushes into the 
shade again. Then, too, she went with a pair of 
scissors, cutting off sprays of wild rose to strew over 
the linen tablecloth. For the wild roses had been 
out some days now, and the round bushes were covered 
with the delicate pink blossoms. In addition, it also 
fell to Hetty’s lot to see that enough bottles of light 
beer were put in the tub of water by the summer¬ 
house, that the cards, markers, cigars and liqueurs 
were brought out, aniseed for the ladies, Benedictine, 
curagoa and cognac as well, so that there was some¬ 
thing to suit every individual taste. And, lastly, she 
had to wrap up the ice in a tablecloth and put tall 
glasses and lemons in readiness for lemonade. There 
was plenty for her to do. She had, too, to rearrange 


HETTY GEYBERT 241 

the cut cakes on their dishes, for Hetty would not 
like to put them on the table as they were sent by 
Weise • the cream also had to be poured out into 
their own crystal bowls, as she thought the con¬ 
fectioner’s moulded glass dishes looked too poor and 
common. 

When Hetty had finished this, she went round 
collecting them all from their several corners, and 
as soon as she knew they were somewhere near the 
tables, she dispatched the maids down the garden 
with the great Meissen coffee-pots, whilst she went 
on to wake Eli, who started up quite dazed. 

Janey said she couldn’t sit like that, so a low 
basket-chair and a cushion was fetched from the 
summer-house for her ; she complained, too, that the 
garden was full of gnats, and one had already stung 
the back of her neck. 

The children made such an onslaught on the cake 
that Hetty was afraid there would not be enough, 
and they bordered their saucers with whipped cream 
as well. The new cousin Julius sat next to Hetty, 
and Jason on her other side. Minnie thought the 
roses a charming idea—no one but Hetty ever managed 
to think of such things—but Janey, as she laid her 
bare arms on the table, screamed out that she had 
pricked herself, and that such an arrangement she 
had literally never seen before. 

Eli, full of youthful memories, told tales of horse¬ 
manship, whilst Aunt Rika said how delighted she 
was to have Solomon here again, it had never been 
so nice out here before, and they must all come very 
often—at least every other Sunday. 

“ Don’t refuse,” Solomon exclaimed. Hetty had 
now grown quite silent and anxious, for she had 
a foreboding of what awaited her. Ferdinand thought 
she had altered ; her face always used to be no 
less beautiful than interesting, but now the scale had 
turned in favour of the latter quality. 

^ Julius began to talk of his business prospects. 
Trade in raw hides was good now, and if they could 

16 


242 


HETTY GEYBERT 


come to some settlement about the premises in Old 
Leipzig Street—it was only a difference of eighty 
thalers between them—then he hoped to move in on 
the 15 th of August. 

Jason sat very quiet, evidently thinking deeply about 
something. Janey, Minnie and Rika were engrossed in 
clothes and servants, and only waiting till they were 
alone to include their husbands as a third topic of 
conversation. 

Jenny was already urging Hetty to come with them 
into the Castle Park, and Ferdinand exclaimed : “ Now, 
Solomon, don’t keep the game waiting ” ; when this 
effected nothing, he burst into song : 

“ Oh why does it not start, not start ? 

Oh why does it not start, not start ? ” 

When Ferdinand sang, he was irresistible, so 
Solomon got up, exclaiming : “I think we had better 
play a rubber,” and so signified that this secondary 
meal was at an end. 

Max, Jenny, Wolfgang and Julius rallied round 
Hetty’s standard, to trust to her leadership, like the 
Burgundians’ army round the Maid of Orleans. But 
Hetty had to see to this and that and give orders, 
so that nothing should be neglected in her absence, 
besides arranging for a card-table in the summer¬ 
house, a plentiful supply of beer, liqueurs and cigars, 
and that rolls should be handed round again in two 
hours’ time—before she could march out of camp with 
her forces. She was quite pleased to take off the 
children, for she was oppressed by an unbearable feel¬ 
ing of unrest and an anxious fear that made her 
tingle as with a thousand pin-pricks. 

The womenfolk went to the other side of the 
garden into a summer-house as soon as the maid had 
swept up the withered leaves and dried acacia blossoms 
lying on the rotting, wooden floor, as well as on 
chairs and benches, whilst Eli, Solomon, Ferdinand 
and Jason settled themselves under the broad roof 


HETTY GEYBERT 243 

and the luxuriant pale-green sprays of the syringa- 
bushes. 

Under the pale-green leaves, here and there pierced 
by yellow sunbeams, the air was beautifully cool, 
as cool as the leaves themselves were to the touch. 

Ferdinand shuffled with his left hand, and with 
his right arranged the markers in proper order. 

“Tell me, Solomon, what exactly is the young 
man ? ” Eli inquired. 

“What young man?” Jason exclaimed. 

“ Well, he is a nephew of mine,” said Solomon. 

“ I know that, of course, Solomon. I mean, what’s 
his business ? ” 

“ He means to start in leather.” 

“Oh, does he? Leather—leather is quite a sound 
business,” answered Eli, thinking of saddles and bridles. 

“How do you like him, then?” Ferdinand asked, 
not without ulterior motives. 

“ Why do you ask me? He is nothing to me. The 
young man is a sly character, I tell you.” 

“ Never,” Solomon exclaimed incredulously. 

“ Well, you’ll see.” 

“ Now, Uncle,” exclaimed Ferdinand, “ play to my 
card.” 

“ I’ve not often been mistaken about people.” 

“ Now then—a card or a bit of wood,” Ferdinand 
urged impatiently. 

Eli looked through his hand this way and that, 
and at last threw down a card, which Jason took 
with a small trump. 

“ The little ones beat the big,” he said, for Solomon 
was Eli’s partner. 

“ Well,” Eli murmured slowly, when he had lost. 
“ How would it have been if I had played the queen 
of hearts instead of the eight of diamonds?” 

“ No funeral orations allowed,” cried Ferdinand, 
as he marked the score. 

“ Here comes one, like Bliicher before Rossbach,” 
.Solomon said as he declared trumps, and with a 
flourish threw down a high one. 


244 


HETTY GEYBERT 


But fortune changed because Jason cut cleverly. 

“ That rather put out our calculations,” Ferdinand 
remarked. He himself had nothing to declare, and 
was decidedly annoyed. 

“ I haven’t had a decent card all afternoon,” he 
grumbled time after time. 

‘‘ Yes, yes, Ferdinand,” Solomon agreed, ‘‘all whist 
players make the same complaint this year. 

Eli again threw away an absolutely safe trick, 
tempted by a rubbishy card from Ferdinand. “ They’re 
just birds of prey, birds of prey they are ! ” 

Jason uncorked the stone pitcher of beer and skil¬ 
fully filled the large shallow glasses ; he was an expert 
at that. 

“ All of you listen—you too, Solomon. I wanted 
to talk to you about something.” 

“ You’ll have time for that afterwards, won’t you? ” 
exclaimed Ferdinand, shuffling the cards. 

44 No,” Jason answered ; 44 the matter is really of 

some importance.” 

‘‘And do you think our game here isn’t, too?” 
Ferdinand inquired in an injured tone, as he sorted 
out his trumps. 

“ I say, Solomon, do you know that Dr. Kossling, 
who was at your house that evening-” 

‘‘Oh, that man,” Ferdinand remarked. 

“ He has a fancy for Hetty,” continued Jason. 

‘‘Well—and-?” Solomon answered gravely. 

44 Well, to say the chief thing first, Hetty has a 
fancy for him too, more indeed than a mere fancy.” 

# Solomon frowned as he pressed his cards against 
his chin. 

44 Well, I don’t know what you’re aiming at, Jason.” 

44 I think, Solomon, it would be wrong to oppose 
such a mutual attraction.” 

Then Solomon flared up. 44 No, Jason ; do you 
know, I think it wrong rather to encourage such a 
mutual attraction.” 

44 That I cannot understand, Solomon ; you are as 
anxious for Hetty’s welfare as I am.” 


HETTY GEYBERT 245 

“For that very reason I cannot sanction anything 
like this.” 

“Let me speak,” interposed Eli. “Do you really 
think, Jason, that Hetty likes him?” 

“ I know it, Uncle.” 

“Well—and what is the young man, then?” 

“ In any case a very capable and good man.” 

“ A good man belongs to a good position,” said 
Ferdinand, who sat there without taking any part at 
all, but with an expression most plainly asking : “ Now, 
how can you, how can you even discuss such a ques¬ 
tion ? ” 

“ Let me speak, Ferdinand ; I ask what the young 
man is.” 

“ What do you suppose ! Doctor of Philosophy.” 

“ So far good ; he has, then, a title at least. But 
what else is he?” 

“ He writes for periodicals, you see, and makes 
some sort of a living like that.” 

“ Then he is nothing—I understand, Jason ! But 
what has he got, then?” 

“ Nothing at all ; what do you expect? He comes 
from Brunswick, from quite poor circumstances,” Jason 
answered hotly. 

“ Absurd,” Solomon exclaimed ; and this word was 
always his strongest expression of displeasure. 

“ Just let me speak, Solomon,” Uncle Eli broke 
in with a sharpness quite unusual in him. “So he 
is nothing and has nothing. But, in your opinion, 
Jason, he is a man to be respected ? ” 

‘‘If I didn’t know that, I should certainly not be 
taking his part here.” 

“Of course not,” said Eli. “ When he came once 
to see me, I liked him, too, very much, a sterling, 
unassuming man, not one of your braggarts like Herr 
Jacoby.” 

“ Yes—but-” 

“ Just let me speak, Solomon. No doubt you are 
right, he is nothing and has nothing. But now, what 
does that matter, Solomon, for haven’t you certainly 


246 


HETTY GEYBERT 


got something and you are something as well? If 
I was in your place, I’d certainly give him Hetty. 
In our family we’ve all of us taken love into account. 
You don’t want, do you, to force the lass into misery? 
You must think over that as well, Solomon ; such a 
splendid girl, too, as our Hetty is.” 

“ Well—and what about his being a Christian?” 
Ferdinand inquired as Solomon closed his lips tightly 
and did not answer, whether because he was too angry 
or was changing his opinion, no one knew. “ Now, 
what about that ? ” 

“ Can he help that, Ferdinand? Such an excuse was 
all very well for last century but, nowadays, no one 
ought to trouble his head about such foolishness, that’s 
my firm opinion,” stormed Eli, as red as a turkey- 
cock, for the revolutionary ideas of his youth had 
become part and parcel of his very nature by now. 

“ Hear that now,” scoffed Ferdinand ; “ won’t you 
sometime work that out for The Bee on the Mission- 
field ? ” 

“ No, Eli is quite right,” Jason struck in, although, 
to tell the truth, he was of quite another opinion in 
this matter. 

Listen, Jason,” Solomon now said very gravely, 
and with the deliberation of a rich man and a merchant 
accustomed to negotiations about matters of importance, 
money and money’s worth. “ Listen, Eli, we won’t 
get angry at all, but discuss the matter quite calmly. 
You needn t think, Jason, that your news surprised 
me.” 

‘‘Ah—is that so?” said Ferdinand. 

‘‘For I knew it before. Only I never thought 
that you would act as special pleader.” 

“ And really I don’t understand that either,” chimed 
in Ferdinand. 

“ The answer I am giving you now, Jason, I could 
have given you sooner. That the young man admires 
Hetty does him credit, but there the matter ends. 
That is the only argument I understand. I am too 
old-fashioned for all the others. Who is he, then— 


HETTY GEYBERT 


247 


this Dr. Kossling? If he only had anything at all to 
weigh down the scale. But he simply comes along : 
‘Give me your niece Hetty.’ He is an author. Yes, 
but what does that mean? If only he had a settled 
calling ! But a man like that, who earns a few 
groschen to-day and nothing to-morrow, comes to 
me and I am too-” 

“ Dear Solomon,” interrupted Jason, “ no doubt you 
understand a great deal about a merchant’s position, 
but nothing at all of an author’s in these days ; 
that I can hear, very plainly, from your words. 
He cannot amass riches and treasures, that I grant, 
but an author with money behind him will always 
earn enough and always have a more than sufficient 
income.” 

“ That is true,” said Eli in confirmation. “ But 
a merchant, Solomon, can throw away all his property 
and his wife’s as well in two speculations.” 

“ He should know that,” Frederick remarked in 
the brusque way he always had, which effectually 
enraged Jason, although he kept his self-control and 
only answered : “Yes, because there are always bigger 
swindlers than he is. It is a great mistake to imagine 
one is the very biggest oneself.” 

Solomon, who was always diplomatic, got up. 
“Then we had better end our discussion.” 

“ No,” Jason answered, remembering Kossling. 
” Let me say something more. It is just authors 
who run the smallest risks ; their business entails no 
outlay and needs no capital. All they work with 
is health, brains and nerve-power ; and in his business 
there are no lengths of silk that have afterwards to 
be sold as job lots at half their price.” 

“ That is so, Solomon. Jason is quite right,” Eli 
exclaimed. 

“ Every groschen he earns is pure profit, whilst 
the merchant may not have the very smallest gain 
even when he sells goods for ten thousand thalers.” 

“ Yes,” answered Solomon, who had sat down again, 
“ but also possibly out of the ten thousand thalers 


248 HETTY GEYBERT 


the merchant may make four thousand—and the author 
will never earn more than the honest penny.” 

“ True, true,” exclaimed Ferdinand. 

Now, Solomon, I tell you, you really needn’t talk 
like that. A man, like you, who can’t keep count how 
much he really has ! ” 

No, said Solomon. ” And I shouldn’t if I 
thought all else suitable.” 

Now, Eli, play,” Ferdinand urged. “ Do let’s 
come to an end of this discussion.” 

But who is this Dr. Kossling ? Someone come from 
who knows where. I don’t want to say any ill of him. 
But just ask in Berlin who we are—yes, just ask— 
I don’t know what you think of that.” 

Well, Solomon, I think it is enough to know what 
Kossling is in himself. We got our position as an 
heirloom to start with, and he has had to rely on his 
own powers for what he is or may become. That 
is something better.” 

That is true, Solomon,” Eli remarked, lifting his 
glass with both hands clasped round the shallow 
bowl. 


‘‘ No—that is not so—family is more than you think. 
The brass-founder’s bare-footed youngster will always 
pop out again—and even if he should be a professor 
or privy councillor later on.” 


Jason was somewhat taken aback, although he 
answered : “ But not with Kossling ! ” 

“ And although I may privately have the same 
ideas about religion as Eli, still Hetty shall never 
with our consent, marry a Christian. With our con¬ 
sent never,—you understand.” 

I can t understand, Solomon, how you can ^et 
excited about what is so self-evident. I play hearts ” 
said Ferdinand. 3 


Well then, perhaps you mean to marry her to 
such a rotten Posen beggar,” Eli exclaimed, setting 
down his glass with an emphasis that shook the table. 
But Solomon did not pick up the gauntlet. 

Of course I don’t need to explain to you, Jason. 


HETTY GEYBERT 249 

It is no question of a few customs or of being buried 
at last in Chaussee Street rather than in Hamburg 
Street, it is not that, but you know just as well as 
I do why we cling to the Jewish faith and refuse 
to let it die out in our family. 

“ I tell you, Jason, I would rather never see my 
Jenny marry than that she should take a Christian. 
How you can advocate such a thing passes my under¬ 
standing. Do you think, either, that our poor Maurice 
would have wished it?” 

“ No,” answered Jason, “ but I think he would 
have wished everything done to make his only child 
happy—and in that way we can do more honour to 
his memory than by false sentiment and narrow¬ 
mindedness.” 

“ Just what I wanted to say. I knew him when he 
was a little chap, and I can still remember how he 
always came to me, when he wanted money,” Eli 
remarked with a nod of approval. 

“Yes,” Solomon began once more, “ and I really 
don’t see why the earnings of a lifetime should be 
squandered on an upstart like this.” 

“ Don’t think, Solomon, that the sixty or seventy 
thousand thalers you may give with Hetty-” 

“It might be a hundred, mightn’t it, Solomon?” 
Eli interrupted, fiercely turning over the cigars. 

“ —will be a present from you to him. Please 
don’t imagine that, Solomon. The man doesn’t want 
your money, and has never missed it so far. He 
only wants Hetty, and if only Hetty had not been 
brought up in your house in the midst of abundance, 
and where money was of no account, and if I thought 
that she could accommodate herself to very uncertain 
and poor circumstances without physical or mental 
suffering, I would, yes, I would myself, advise her 
to go away from here.” 

Jason and Solomon had both sprung to their feet, 
and stood looking each other full in the face, their 
cheeks flaming with rage. 

“ Heavens, how short the corks are in Charlotten- 


250 


HETTY GEYBERT 


burg,” Ferdinand remarked in some embarrassment, 
as he toyed with the cork of a stone beer-bottle. 

In a moment, however, the wave of passionate 
indignation that had rushed over the two brothers, 
making their eyes flash and their hands tremble, had 
ebbed away again. 

“ You needn’t be afraid, Solomon,” Jason said in 
a low tone, almost as though apologising. “ I shan’t 
do it—only I think some day you too will change 
your opinion.” 

“I do not think so, Jason.” 

“ Not even if you turn your thoughts entirely away 
from Dr. Kossling and only think of Hetty?” 

“ Dear Jason,” Solomon replied, not without a note 
of tenderness in his voice. “ Rest assured that I 
think only of her all the time. I have already 
thoroughly discussed the matter from every point of 
view with my wife.” 

“ Always the womenfolk ! He must needs talk 
with the womenfolk,” Eli fumed, striking the table 
with the palm of his hand. 

“ And I should consider it inexcusable on my part 
to sanction it, nor do I believe Hetty is in earnest.” 

Jason shrugged his shoulders. “ Very well ! but 
don’t say afterwards that I did not warn you before¬ 
hand.” 

“ And even if she was, that would not persuade 
me to consent to something which I am convinced 
is bad for her. Our Hetty is far too sensible not 
to get over it.” 

Solomon was now once more the deliberate, wealthy 
man and the merchant discussing matters with manu¬ 
facturers and showing them why he ought to get 
foulards a groschen a yard cheaper. 

” Far too sensible, Hetty is ! I know her better than 
anyone, as I have lived twenty years with her. But 
we will make every effort—don’t you agree?—to find 
her very soon a capable, suitable husband, and then 
you will see, Jason, that Hetty will not think any 
more of Dr. Kossling.’* 


HETTY GEYBERT 251 

“ Tell me, Solomon, may Dr. Kossling speak to 
you himself ? ” Jason asked very formally. 

“Why should the man trouble to come?” 

“ Then that is your last word ! ” 

“ Jason, I might, of course, say : ‘ Come to me again.’ 
But that is not my way. If a traveller calls on me, 

I either buy something or I do not buy, but I do 
not let him come again . . . that is one of my 
business principles.” 

Once more Jason had risen with that painful twist 
of the spine. His face was now so pale that Solomon 
was shocked. 

“Then good-bye.” 

“ Now what does that mean, Jason? Are we not 
to play out our hands,” Ferdinand exclaimed indig¬ 
nantly. 

“Now you see, Solomon—that’s what you get— 
he is going,” Eli remarked. 

“ But Jason,” Solomon resumed, “ surely the matter 
is not so important as all that.” 

“I find it serious enough, Solomon.” 

“ Now, just sit down again,” Ferdinand begged 
him. 

“ I really don’t understand Solomon either,” Eli 
interposed, “ when Kossling is such a sensible fellow, 
of whom we know nothing but good ; and a handsome 
man, too, he is. They were at my house lately, and 
how they stood there, really like princes ! ” 

“ No, Jason, perhaps you think I am hard-hearted 
and inconsiderate, and yet my thoughts are only 
running farther on than yours. You will see I am 
right, later on.” 

“ We shall not agree, Solomon. Good-bye t ” 

“ Well, Jason, I am sorry that you will go now, 
but I should be doubly sorry if I have hurt you 
personally. I did not mean to do so.” 

“ But he won’t bear you any grudge ; brothers don’t 
do such things,” Ferdinand consoled him. 

“ No ’’—Jason spoke in a low, weary voice. “ You 
have not offended me, but we each speak our own 



252 HETTY GEYBERT 

language, and we shall never understand each other, 
just as we have never really understood one another 
in the past. But who knows, perhaps if I were the 
rich silk-merchant, Solomon Geybert, I should think 
and do the same. But please, do not keep me any 
longer.” 

” Won’t you say good-bye to Rika? ” Solomon called 
after him. 

But Jason Geybert limped as fast as his lame foot 
would carry him down the shady path towards the 
house ; for he was afraid that, if ihe delayed any 
longer, he would run into Hetty, who must be coming 
back soon—and he had a horror of that. 

“ A pity,” said Ferdinand thoughtfully. “ Well, 
we’ll just play with dummy.” 

But the game had lost all its charm for the other 
two. 

Solomon puffed at his cigar, bit it, threw down the 
wrong card continually, revoked and then played some¬ 
thing still worse. Eli played even a shade less sensibly, 
and talked much more than usual after every trick, 
so that at last Ferdinand threw his cards down in a 
fury, exclaiming that never—and he had played whist 
for nearly forty years now—never had he seen such 
play ; he had no desire to play with cadets and such¬ 
like military orphans. So saying, he angrily pocketed 
his gains and put up his feet on the chair which 
Jason had considerately vacated. The summer-house 
had grown close and hot, and the beer had only 
made the players feel the heat more unbearable, so 
they soon sat at their ease, in basket-chairs in the pale- 
green twilight for the sun, instead of shining through 
the green leaves as at first, had now risen to the very 
tops of the trees—smoking in thoughtful silence, not 
especially happy, any one of them. 

‘‘ But, Eli, did you hear how eloquent my brother 
Solomon was ?—a veritable Mirabeau,” Ferdinand said 
at last, referring to what had just happened ; “ you can 
see at once the Ofen student in him.” 

Before Eli could answer, however, there suddenly 


HETTY GEYBERT 


253 


appeared in front of the summer-house, like the three 
Fates, Rika, Janey and Minnie, all arm-in-arm, the 
two sisters plump and brightly dressed to right and 
left, and in the middle Aunt Minnie, very small and 
pinched in her black silk gown. 

“Well,” asked Janey, how’s the game getting on? 
Too hot, I suppose ? ” 

“ Yes,” Solomon peevishly replied. 

“What’s wrong then?” Rika asked, looking round 
and sniffing right and left with a shake of her head. 
There’s such a smell of burning here? And where 
is Jason then? ” 

“ Jason had an engagement for the afternoon,” 
Ferdinand answered quickly. “ He left his love for 
you. But he didn’t wish to disturb the party?” 

“ Is that it,” said Rika, trying to catch her husband’s 
eye.” 

“ Jason of course, just like Jason ! ” Janey ex¬ 
claimed. 

“ Well, you know, his intentions were really very 
good,” said Solomon. 

“ What ! What ! ” Minnie’s voice was very high in 
her desire to hear more. 

But then came the sound of Jenny’s and Wolfgang’s 
voices, and Hetty appeared walking down the path, 
with Max at her side and Julius just behind. 

“ Why can you never be quiet, Minnie—why do 
you never learn that ? ” stormed Eli, so that poor Minnie 
did not know whether she was on her head or her 
heels. A fine thing, indeed, if she mightn’t even ask 
a question ! 

“ But have you seen our pears behind the garden? ” 
Rika whispered ; and taking poor disconcerted Minnie 
by the arm, she took her off, so that she might not 
meet Hetty just at that moment. 

Hetty was carrying a bunch of red roses, and another 
that Jenny had put in her hair hung by her temples ; 
Max and the new cousin Julius had red roses, too, 
in their buttonholes, but Jenny was adorned with a 
dainty little wreath of carnations on her loose, black 


254 


HETTY GEYBERT 


plaits, and it is not improbable that she had some 
idea how well it suited her. Wolfgang, too, had 
summer adornments in the form of a fine bandolier 
across his chest of green lime-leaves, that Hetty had 
cleverly made into a broad chain with the help of 
pine-needles and thorns ; but this green decoration 
only made the small face above the broad white turn¬ 
down collar look still paler and more sickly. 

Hetty, with her tall, proud beauty in the white 
taffeta gown embroidered with golden ears of corn— 
she was wearing that now—looked like a queen 
amongst her retinue—for she was a good head taller 
than even the new cousin Julius. 

“Now just look at her coming there!” said Eli, 
getting up from his chair. 

“ Oh, Hetty, who gave you the splendid roses 
then? ” Janey called out to her. 

“ They’re from our Julius,” Jenny answered with 1 
a saucy giggle and a nudge for Wolfgang. 

“Well then! Isn’t he really delightful, Hetty? 
A perfect gentleman ; just like my dead brother 
Nero,” Janey remarked. 

Julius Jacoby smiled, well satisfied. 

“ The few roses,” he said, “ were surely the least 
I could do for Fraulein Hetty. But they are dear 
here—a terrible price. . . .” 

Hetty at once saw that something had happened 
in their absence ; saw it in Ferdinand’s unnatural calm, 
in Solomon’s frown of annoyance, and in old Uncle 
Eli’s kindly, sympathetic glances. 

“ Well,” she inquired, “ why have you stopped 
your game? Can I have anything brought to you?” 

“ Dear, no,” Eli answered ; “ you have already 

provided us with everything ; but still, if you chanced 
to have any coffee-cakes in the house?” 

“ I’ll fetch them ; I think there are some,” Hetty 
assured him. “But where is Jason?” 

“Oh, Jason! You know Jason, don’t you? Do 
you think—he will keep them waiting ? ” Ferdinand 
replied. 


HETTY GEYBERT 255 

“Where does she work, I wonder?’’ Eli gaily 
inquired. 

“ Jason has gone already,? ’’ Hetty’s voice trembled 
and she swallowed to keep back her sobs. 

“ Yes,” said Solomon in a calm unperturbed 
voice ; “he must have had some engagement or 
other.” , i ! [ 1 ! 

“ He told me as soon as he got here that he would 
not stay to supper,” Janey remarked. “ Didn’t he 
speak to you about it? ” 

“ No,” Hetty answered. Her face had turned 
absolutely white, in striking contrast to the flaming; 
red rose in her hair. “ No—I—hoped—he—would 
stop—here.” With this Hetty turned and—heedless 
of the others’ cries—ran rather than walked quickly 
down the path to the house. 

“ You must just look after Hetty,” Ferdinand said 
to Rika, who now came in with 1 Minnie from their 
visit to the wonderful rooms. “ I think she has gone 
into the house.” 

“ Now, do you see, Solomon—that’s what you get,” 
Eli put in. 

“Herr Jacoby, do you play whist?” Ferdinand 
exclaimed, trying to bring a little touch of festivity 
into the gathering. “ Well then, let’s be quick and 
have a game.” 

“ As a matter of fact, I don’t play, on principle,” 
Julius said, taking the chair Jason had left empty for 
him. “ A merchant-” But second thoughts pre¬ 

vailed, and the cards flew on to the table, dealt out 
by Ferdinand’s practised hand with' the speed of a 
whirlwind. Clap, clap, three at a time, with never 
a mistake on Ferdinand’s part. And in the first 
game—Julius won trick after trick, having soon dis¬ 
covered that Eli’s knowledge of the game did not 
amount to much—the maid came to bring coffee- 
cakes for old Herr Geybert. 

“ Do you see, Solomon, if that isn’t Hetty all over— 
her head full of other things, and spite of it all still 
recollects my rubbishy coffee-cakes ! ” 

' l 


256 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ Don’t interrupt the game,” Ferdinand cried em¬ 
phatically. 

‘‘ What is Fraulein Hetty doing, then?” Solomon 
inquired of the maid. 

“ She went straight to her own room, Herr 
Geybert.” 

But Julius busily and calmly went on sorting his 
cards. “ On principle ” he avoided noticing what he 
did not wish to see. 

***** 

And whilst the new cousin Julius, with his sharp, 
darting little eyes—as a worthy successor of Jason— 
skilfully fleeced ,at whist old Uncle Eli, who was to-day 
more than usually inattentive to his game, his pre¬ 
decessor sat, absorbed in his own thoughts, in the 
conveyance that, drawn by two strong horses, was 
rolling heavily through the dust, noise and traffic, 
along the Charlottenburg high road to its low grey 
goal in the distance amongst the rows of trees at the 
end—the Brandenburg Gate. A hot sky glared above 
the trees, and the leaves all hung limp and motionless. 
Holiday-makers were enjoying themselves on the grass 
that bordered the road, and playing at a military camp 
in Silesia. 

But Jason, who would have been enraptured by 
it at any other time, never saw the gay crowd to-day, 
as he kept his eyes fixed straight in front, and con¬ 
tinually mopped the perspiration from his brow with 
a red silk handkerchief. 

Jason’s first idea, as he rushed off, was to go to 
Kossling and let him know how bad and completely 
hopeless it all was for him. But no sooner was he 
driving down than other thoughts began to come. 
Why should he spoil the poor fellow’s Sunday? The 
next day would be plenty soon enough. Moreover, 
fie felt how brutal it was of him to dash him out of 
his seventh heaven into the midst of cruel reality. 
But then, as Jason said to himself, perhaps that 
wasn t at all the case after all, that all happiness 
consisted entirely of thoughts and moods, and not in 


HETTY GEYBERT 


257 


present or future possessions ; that Kossling, in his 
very reverence and love for Hetty had something in¬ 
destructible—a permanent good. The beauty of his 
visions, the sweetness of his memories, and the joyous¬ 
ness of his dreams remained untouched, whatever out¬ 
ward things might come to nought. Then, too, he 
was so made that he would never believe in nor grasp 
a refusal. 

As Jason then hastily ran through the previous con¬ 
versation in all its turns and phases, it seemed, even 
to him, as if the refusal had not been quite so decided, 
and he clung to a few words of his brother’s, saying 
there might have been a possibility if this or that 
had been different. Jason pretended this, pondered 
that, and recalled one or other point in their talk, 
until the driver asked if Herr Geybert was meaning 
to drive back again. As Jason looked up all the others 
who had been sitting round him had got out, and 
he was all alone in the empty coach by the Branden¬ 
burg Gate, and the driver was roaring : “ Just 

starting, starting ; only waiting for one more wretched 
person,” roaring at the top of his voice to the Sunday 
walkers, who, however, preferred their own feet. 

And Jason, in some confusion of mind, climbed 
down and went through the gate past the sentry-boxes 
into the city, walking as fast as he possibly could to 
get to Kossling quickly. For that would be—so it 
seemed to him once more—the best thing to do. 

But the afternoon brought no lessening of the heat 
in its train. The leaves—in the open country, green 
under the cloudless sky—hung here in dusty clusters 
dead and motionless on the trees, and everything 
seemed to meet Jason in a noisy confusion of men 
and traffic. The broad road, as far as one could 
see, was crowded with people, elbowing and jostling 
each other in great companies or in groups of twos 
and threes, but all alike loud and unrestrained. 
Soldiers and shop people, workmen and mechanics 
were walking about with their laughing sweethearts 
by the gate in long, leisurely rows. 

17 


258 HETTY GEYBERT 

Soon Jason Geybert, too, slackened his speed— 
because it was hot—and began to scan the passers- 
by. And since women on Sundays in their gay best 
clothes have a trick of looking more attractive than 
on grey, working days, Jason Geybert’s thoughts were 
soon busied with quite other things, and he, too, was 
strolling quite comfortably and aimlessly under the 
limes, so that when he reached the corner by 
Kranzler’s, Charlottenburg and all that had happened 
there lay well-nigh miles behind him, and once more 
he was firmly resolved not to go to Kossling. 

It would be wrong to blame him for this, for, after 
all, our nature is such that we never remain long 
In one persistent mood, and always try to push away 
what saddens and oppresses, to turn our eyes to what 
seems to promise gaiety of heart. 

But since every corner outside Kranzler’s was 
occupied, and there was no attraction in sitting indoors 
on such a day, and since, moreover, Jason really felt 
no desire to be alone, but rather an undefined sense 
of longing to find some sympathetic, virtuous soul, he 
walked on in the best of spirits, as eager for adventure 
and as sure of conquest as any Viking of old. He 
did not exactly know how to spend the evening and 
night, nor where his fortune might lead him ; more 
than once he was strongly tempted to turn and swim 
with the stream, no matter where—perhaps to Moabite 
or to the fireworks at The Tents. But in the pleasant 
mood of idle loitering that had come upon him such 
a resolve would have entailed too much effort ; besides, 
this was one of Jason Geybert’s fair days—not a 
brown or black day, but one of his fair days—and 
on these he always gave himself up entirely to chance 
wherever it might lead him, without a thought of 
resistance. 

It was not so on his brown or black days, for 
then Jason Geybert was always with his own strong 
hand the master of his fate. 

So now for some time chance drove Jason Geybert 
in the wake of a golden star—golden as ripe ears of 


HETTY GEYBERT 259 

corn. And already, quick, gracious glances had fallen 
to his lot ; . glances that kept him constant as a satellite 
of that bright star, and drew him ever closer and 
closer. This star took its path in strange zigzags 
and curves over the Castle Bridge, from corner to 
corner of the crowded Castle Square, and, leaving 
the arcade on the right, turned at last sharp to the 
left under the lea of the Elector’s mighty monument, 
to wander along the silent City Street—in such a 
leisurely tempo, too, that here, in the quiet of Sunday 
afternoon, Jason could easily have merged his path 
and the star’s in one. 

But so strange is Chance. [Did it act as we expect, 
it would belie its name.] So strangely does it act that, 
just as he was in the act of taking a short turn 
to the left, Jason Geybert came face to face with 1 
someone of whom he had not thought for fully a 
quarter of an hour, whom he had pushed right to 
the back of his mind, but who now pushed forward 
all at once and forced himself upon his memory. 

1 Oh, Herr Geybert, I have been looking every¬ 
where,” Kossling said, with an embarrassed flush, 
whilst the tone of his voice betrayed days and nights 
of excitement. 

“ Yes,” Jason slowly replied, indignant that the 
other did not understand the gravity and importance 
of the present situation. “ What are you going to do 
this evening? ” Jason spoke without deigning to look 
at Kossling, but kept his eyes, as if under some spell, 
fixed on his beautiful golden star, who was now 
steering a slow, slanting course across the road, and 
twice more flashed her light in his direction before 
she hid it behind a heavily closing front door. 

Meantime, Kossling stood in front of Jason, silent 
but trembling with excitement, for he guessed only 
too well the meaning of Jason’s changed attitude. 

“ There,” Jason said in a relieved tone to Kossling, 
at the same time indelibly impressing that house- 
door on his memory. “ There—now it’s your turn, 
dear friend. What shall we do now?” And he 


260 HETTY GEYBERT 

passed his arm through Kossling’s. “ I have no 
plans—nowadays I have no peace for reading or 
writing.” 

“But why not, dear Doctor?” Jason was now 
determined not to tell him anything. 

“ Have you spoken to your brother now on my 
behalf?” Kossling hesitated as he put the question, 
but he felt impelled to ask without any beating about 
the bush. 

Jason freed his arm with a slight jerk and stopped 
in amazement. 

‘‘But what do you expect, dear Doctor? How can 
I attack the man the minute he is back ? That would 
be a very unwise proceeding.” 

And Jason was astonished at the calm way in which 
he made this statement. 

“ I thought you would drive out to-day,” Kossling 
replied in disappointed accents. ‘‘And there¬ 
fore-” 

“ No,” said Jason, “ that wouldn’t do just yet, 
and then I think my sister-in-law Rika has a bad 
headache. I have been listening this afternqon to a 
little music in The Tents, and am now on my way 
home.” 

‘‘Herr Geybert, when do you think that-?” 

Kossling resumed his attack. 

‘‘Well, certainly this week.” And Jason took 
his arm again. He had regained all his usual 
self-confidence, and continued : “ But now you will 

come with me to-day ; you owe me a visit in 
any case.” 

Kossling demurred at first, but he was really glad 
to be asked, for after the last few excited days he 
had a longing for company and absorbing conversa¬ 
tion, and after all his gloomy forebodings, his hopes, 
plans and visions, a desire for the relief of a man’s 
words that went beyond the individual and tangible 
to dwell on general coherence and on impersonal, vital 
questions. 

When Kossling had agreed they walked on for 


HETTY GEYBERT 


261 


a little in silence, side by side, their long shadows 
cast by the crimson sun behind them moving slowly 
along the pavement before them. 

Jason began to speak then of the exhibition in the 
Academy. He could see nothing in Professor Lessing ; 
Kruger, generally in the front rank, made rather a 
tame impression with his show of pleasure-gardens, 
but Steinruck’s elves had in his eyes a touch of soft 
and delicate poetry like a song of Schubert’s. But 
what had most attracted him was a court scene— 
rather like a painting of Ostade’s, and yet of quite 
a different colour scheme—and then the drawing of 
a wrought-iron intricate grating and the way in which 
the painter got his effect by careless little dabs of 
his brush had greatly interested him. He had looked 
upon the artist hitherto as only excelling in his 
drawing, but he was original and remarkable as a 
painter too, not certainly to be ignored. He was of 
short stature, with a great head like a gnome ; some¬ 
one had pointed him out in the street. His name was 
Menzel, and he was a friend of Arnold’s, the dealer 
in wall-hangings, although he—Jason Geybert—had 
never yet met him there. Not that he was sorry, 
for, as a rule, such people were so taken up with 
themselves and their own inner life that they were 
exceedingly wearisome and uninteresting in public, 
even if they were not utterly incapable of saying a 
sensible word, like the renowned Thorwaldsen—so 
he had been told. 

Kossling made but a poor show in this conversa¬ 
tion, for his thoughts were all elsewhere, and in any, 
case he had not much feeling for painting, looking 
upon it simply from a literary point of view as an 
expression of thoughts and sensations, whilst Jason, 
who dabbled in it a little in private just for his own 
amusement, had a much keener appreciation and 
feeling for it. Jason, too, inherited from his father 
a delight in rare and beautiful colours and in fineness 
of detail, and the consequent craving for its satis¬ 
faction often made him spend more on sketches, silver, 


262 


HETTY GEYBERT 


china, or on finely printed almanacks and first editions, 
than the keeper of his privy purse would ever have 
been able to justify. 

Kossling tried to bring back the conversation to 
Hetty, but Jason Geybert so continually frustrated 
his attempts that Kossling began to feel as though 
he was trying to grasp a wall of mist. 

Yet he felt quite distinctly that Jason was hiding 
something, and only trying to put him off with his 
talk, for Jason Geybert was now very loquacious, 
passing from one subject to another, fluttering here, 
there, everywhere, like a will-o’-the-wisp, so that 
Kossling’s suppressed excitement increased with every 
moment until he went in constant fear that it would 
find some sudden outlet. 

Kossling, as they turned into Kloster Street, was 
therefore just on the point of breaking his promise 
to come with Jason Geybert on some pretext or other, 
when Jason stopped before a fine old house and drew 
him into the broad porch with its brightly painted 
walls and general air of welcome. 

“There, here we are, dear Doctor! I will lead 
the way.’’ So saying, Jason unlocked the high 
wooden door with its rich, deep, openwork carving, 
separating the wide and spacious porch from the 
entrance hall, with a great curved key which he had 
taken down from above the archway. “ Then I don’t 
need to ring,’’ he explained. Kossling, who had 
not expected such a house with fine wood openwork 
doors, balustrades and quaint pillars bordering the 
steps, was charmed, and told Jason that it reminded 
him of Brunswick and the old houses built near the 
market. 

“ Yes,’’ said Jason, as without the least effort they 
mounted the broad low steps interspersed every now 
and then by a wide landing. “ I grew up here ; 
here my father lived. But then the house was sold, 
and I practically never came here again. When eight 
years ago, however, one of the upper flats fell vacant, 
I took it, and now I often feel as though I had never 


HETTY GEYBERT 268 

been anywhere else. See, this is my flat. Wait— 
there is no light in the passage.” 

With this Jason Geybert opened the door, and an 
old housekeeper in a wonderful flowered gown flew 
past them like a little owl and disappeared into a 
back room 1 . 

Jason took Kossling at first to the front. 44 Please 
excuse,” he said ; 44 this is really my bedroom, but 

Fraulein Hortel must just see that everything is in 
order in the other room.” 

Kossling did not know where to look when on every 
side there was such' evidence of taste and refinement. 
The windows were very broad and deep, so that a 
full measure of light penetrated even into the farthest 
comers of the light-green room. The bed was con¬ 
cealed behind a green curtain, and in addition there 
was only very little furniture, but all very dainty and 
valuable. The round mahogany table with ivory 
inlays on its shining, mirror-like surface was en¬ 
circled by low easy chairs with thin green cushions, 
and a great richly carved mahogany arm-chair with 
massive bronze rosettes stood cornerwise in front of 
it. Its cover and cushions, too, were of the same thin 
figured damask. But the walls were completely 
draped with bright pale-green silk, whilst from the 
cornice there hung on dark-green silken cords to the 
level of one’s eye—all in the same narrow little frames 
with dark wood corners—old, coloured engravings of 
Parisian fashions, gay beauties in farthingales, ladies 
in Nature’s garb, and caricatures of dandies in the 
time of the First Consul. Yet between all these un¬ 
refined things one came across the dreamy faces of 
a few of Gavarni’s childlike Griseldas, and one or 
two sweet and wonderfully dainty women’s heads 
known to Kossling in the Charivari illustrations. 

But what most astonished Kossling were the two 
exactly similar mahogany cabinets with bronze 
capitals on the corner uprights, against the farther 
wall, one to the right, the other to the left, both entirely 
filled with old china, groups, figures, dishes, white 


264 HETTY GEYBERT 

ind coloured, arranged in tasteful alternation. So 
intent had he been on these, that the great red-brown 
cupboard to which Jason now went had entirely 
escaped his notice. 

Kossling remembered the old worn-out furniture 
in his room, old stuff that even lacked the virtue of 
being his own, and once again had the unpleasant 
sensation of having intruded ; so strong, indeed, was 
his feeling, that he would have liked to go at once 
and never set eyes again either on Jason or anything 
else that bore the name of Geybert. 

Jason noticed Kossling’s discomfort. “ I can’t help 
the green silk,” he said, with a laugh ; “ they are 

only a couple of badly dyed lengths that were to be 
put out of the warehouse stock, so I thought I would 
just have them hung up over the walls.” With this 
explanation Jason took his camelot jacket out of the 
wardrobe and hung his green Sunday coat neatly 
on the peg, not without first looking at it with! 
loving encouragement and affectionately stroking and 
patting it, whilst Kossling, with his back to him, 
was silently gazing at the pieces of china. 

Kossling was, indeed, no judge of china, yet he 
felt that this had been acquired by a collector with 
good taste ; one little figure especially charmed him. 
With its curved eyebrows and its unusual smile it 
reminded Kossling of Hetty ; brought her picture 
irresistibly before his mind’s eye. He would have 
loved to take the little image from the cupboard and 
kiss it as he thought of her, and stood there quite 
lost and absorbed in contemplation. 

“ Oh yes,” Jason remarked, coming up behind him, 
“ I often sit for hours before them too. I always 
think a poem could be written about every one of 
these pieces of china. Just look at this Frankental 
group—Apollo and Venus—and Vulcan is just about 
to throw his net round them. That is a sonnet. And 
look at that little Meissen figure ”—Jason pointed 
to Kossling’s little lady. “It is a genuine Kandler. 
Isn’t it really a roguish Sicilian ? And this here is 


HETTY GEYBERT 


265 


my pride, Doctor, this little maid in biscuit china, 
Sevres, said to be by Houdon. Just notice the soft 
delicate lines of the young body, and how dead clay 
has become real human flesh and blood, just as in 
some folk-song. Yes, dear friend, these few pieces 
of china here are really my only joy. Do you know, 
before I buy a new piece—when I only play with' 
the idea for days and weeks—every time I feel just 
as if I was at the beginning of a new courtship.” 

But Kossling did not stir ; he only felt more 
acutely that a gulf was fixed between them, however 
friendly Jason might be to him. Yes, Kossling 
glanced down at his clothes, and although he could 
not discover any spot or stain, he still seemed to 
himself but a country bumpkin in these surroundings. 
And, on the other hand, Jason here in his own four 
walls seemed a different man from Jason in the street 
or restaurant or at his brother’s that evening. All 
the soft and undefined features of his character here 
grew firm and decided, and Kossling regretted the 
criticism he had given of him to Hetty. ‘‘You 
wonder, no doubt,” Jason went on, “ why I did not 
take this room for my study, but the one at the back 
is quieter in the daytime, just as this is at night, and 
a single heavy cart that shakes the windows has 
always been enough to make me incapable of any 
achievement for two hours after.” So Jason chattered 
on as he strolled this way and that, explaining the 
prints and copper engravings to Kossling, and why 
his choice had fallen just on those and on no others.. 
As a matter of fact he had now quite forgotten: 
Kossling’s fate again ; all he saw in him now was 
the artistic friend to whom it was a pleasure to show 
his treasures. 

But Kossling still felt drawn to the cabinet and 
the tiny figure whose dark little eyes seemed literally 
to wink at him wherever he went or stood. 

“ Might I just look at the one little figure more 
closely? ” he begged. 

‘‘Must you really?” Jason asked anxiously. 


266 HETTY GEYBERT 

“ I’ll be sure not to drop it,” Kossling begged once 
more. 

With some hesitation Jason opened the cabinet, 
grasped the figure securely with two firm fingers 
round its slender waist, lifted it quietly out from among 
the others, and carefully handed it to Kossling, who 
took the little lady in his hand, twisting and turning 
her this way and that, so that the candles shone 
and glistened first in one curve or side and then in 
another, and before Jason knew what was happening, 
Kossling had pressed a kiss on the cold, roguish little 
face. 

“Whatever are you doing, Doctor?” Jason ex¬ 
claimed . 

Kossling was quite embarrassed, and stammered at 
last: “It reminded me of someone.” 

“ Give it over here,” demanded Jason, and shut 
up the little figure in the glass cupboard again as 
carefully as he had taken it out. “ There—now it 
is gone.” 

But at the very moment when he uttered these 
words with a smile all the afternoon’s experiences 
arose again before his mind’s eye, robbing him of his 
calm and leaving him quite embarrassed. He was 
sorry for this poor man, for in spite of the fact that 
Jason in the whole course of his life had had too 
many passionate attachments ever to be under the 
spell of only one, still he could quite sympathize with 
what Kossling was now suffering. 

“ Shall we go to the other room? ” Jason inquired, 
opening the door as if he thought that all this would 
stay here now with the little china lady in the cup¬ 
board. 

In the passage old little Fraulein Hortel, in her 
flowered gown, slipped past them again without a 
sound, like some tiny owl. 

The back room did, indeed, at the first moment 
arouse quite different sensations in Kossling. Door 
and windows were opened on to the broad roofed-in 
balcony running along outside with its carved wooden 


HETTY GEYBERT 267 

trellis-work and its outlook over a cluster of old red 
and brown roofs, as well as over the tops of trees 
rising somewhere out of cramped courtyards and 
narrow little old gardens in their efforts to get to the 
light ; and in the distance the square tower steeple 
of the Nikolai Church rose against a background of 
sunset into the pale sky through a soft haze of dust 
and smoke. The room itself was flooded with ruddy 
light, and gave the impression of size and almost 
entire emptiness, for Fraulein Hortel had laid the 
supper outside on the balcony, and carried out all 
necessary tables and chairs as well. 

“ Books, books, books,” Jason remarked as he 
pointed to the bookshelves which ran high and low, 
to right and left, and between the windows, barely 
leaving room for a few high-backed chairs against 
the walls, and some plates and engravings above them. 
Pretty little leather-bound volumes stood in neat rows 
beside books in more ordinary cardboard covers, and 
a parting ray of ruddy light ran over the gilt lettering 
on the green title labels and lingered in the tiny gold 
flowers which decorated the backs of the books. 

Kossling was immediately absorbed in their titles ; 
that he could never have failed to be, whatever the 
state of his emotions. Each one had something to 
give him, a definite mental picture of the book’s 
contents ; it seemed to Kossling like the name of a 
dish which he had never eaten, but whose taste he 
none the less thought he knew. 

Jason, however, was reluctant to resign his office 
of guide. 

“ This is my laboratory,” he said ; “ here I have 
learnt to be modest ; I have buried many a hope in 
this room, and I have found compensation for many 
a hope that has been shattered outside its walls. A 
real book-lover—mark that, dear Doctor—ought to 
have neither wife, child, nor kindred. These here 
must be his all. Do you know, dear friend, I always 
say: ‘These are my brothers ’—he pointed to one 
bookshelf ; and ‘ These are my fathers ’ ; and lastly, 




268 


HETTY GEYBERT 


* These ’—pointing to a third—* are our ancestors.* 
They really are my favourites, for they were living 
in a time when, as Lichtenberg somewhere says, to 
be a writer at all meant to be a good writer. Are 
you interested in good editions ? Just look at this 
Geneva edition of Voltaire in 1751, and this transla¬ 
tion of Montaigne by Bode in the nineties, or here, the 
first London edition of Diderot. Do you know his 
Les Bijoux Indiscrets? ” Kossling thought for a 
moment. “ No,” laughed Jason, “ nor do you need 
to. Yet there is this side of life as well, and it, too,, 
is right.” 

But Kossling scarcely heard him. There was no 
getting him away from the books, as he stretched his 
neck to see what was in the topmost rows, and knelt 
down to decipher the lowest. 

Kossling recognized at once that, as with the china, 
this library had not been thrown together by chance, 
but owed its existence to the considered action and 
unusual taste of the collector. There were not many 
historical books, but much philosophy and many older 
prose writers. There were, too, at least fifty volumes 
dealing with India, and again whole rows of French 
tenth-century romances in their dainty little volumes 
with their copper-plate illustrations. Heinse, Harjiann, 
Theodore Anadeus, Hoffmann, Jean Paul, Goethe were 
there, not only in their complete works, but also 
practically all in first editions as well. Kossling could 
not turn his eyes away, for he had seldom met with 
any collection which bore such high testimony to 
its owner’s good taste, and which severity and judg¬ 
ment combined had kept entirely free from every 
touch of mediocrity or inferiority. 

“ Now do come away from the books,” Jason said 
at last, after having somewhat irritably busied himself 
meanwhile at his writing-table where something had 
been disarranged. “Iam sure you can’t see properly 
any longer. 

Do you know, I often wonder whether books are 
really good or bad for us. Very often they seem 


HETTY GEYBERT 269 

to be like nothing but a poor copper engraving, a 
more or less obliterated copy of life, picturesque 
enough, but only acceptable when no other good im¬ 
pression is available ; then, at another time, books 
seem to intensify the meaning of life and to trans¬ 
form its madness into wisdom, as if life slowly shaped 
itself in accordance with books. But let us leave the 
books, Doctor. Come, I will show you some en¬ 
gravings. Here is the Chodowiecki work. Or would 
you rather look at butterflies, I wonder ? In the 
cupboard I still have some cases ; in my young days 
I was an impassioned collector ; but, as often happens, 
that hobby has lost all its attraction. Besides, now, 
with my leg, it would be too much of a strain for 
me.” 

Yes, Kossling would like to see the butterflies. 

So Jason opened, one after another, the glass- 
covered cases in which the butterflies were stuck by 
long pins on neat pieces of cork, each with its own 
clearly written little label. Many were a little pale 
and faded, but others as brilliant as though only that 
very morning they had flown across the meadows 
in an ecstasy of joy. 

“ It is curious,” Jason remarked, 14 that although 
I have forgotten nearly all their names, yet almost 
every one of these butterflies holds some special 
memory for me. I still know exactly how I came 
by him, and to-day what I really see is not the gay 
little four-winged creature, but the long forest-path) 
amidst the beech-trees’ bright clustering leaves on 
either hand ; this one brings back one early day 
in spring when I tramped through the marshes and 
saw the little white birch-stems with their bare red 
boughs standing up amongst the yellow reeds ; or 
that one, again, is for me to-day only a rich meadow 
full of tall purple vetches.” 

Kossling bent down close to the case. 

“Were you ever a collector yourself, Doctor?” 

44 No,” Kossling replied, 44 but I like looking at 
butterflies very much.” 


270 HETTY GEYBERT 

“ But please conae now,” urged Jason, as he stepped 
up to the supper-table, set outside on the balcony. 

The sun was now so low that only a broad, fiery 
edge appeared through the violet veil of mist, and 
two sharply defined straight lin.es of purple crossed 
the horizon far away above the darkening roofs, only 
broken by the sharp dark triangle of the church 
steeple. High up on one roof a man stood, tall 
and dark, beckoning with a long dove to a flight 
of circling doves to come home, and the softly circling 
evening smoke rose straight as a dart from every 
chimney round. 

” How beautiful it is here,” Kossling said as he 
stood against the railing. 

“ Dear friend, you can see it just as well from 
the table.” 

“ Perhaps,” Kossling said, with a laugh, as he sat 
down opposite to Jason, who pushed the dishes of 
cold meat over to him and filled his glass. 

But Kossling only sipped his wine and ate very 
little. He never could eat in warm weather, he said ; 
Jason, however, affirmed that such outside things never 
affected him. i ; 

“It is a pity you never collected butterflies,” Jason 
began again slowly, at the same time looking thought¬ 
fully at his visitor. He really did not know what it was 
in this young man that so appealed to him. And 
yet he was attached to him ; perhaps there was 
nothing soft or sensual about him, and every feature 
was expressive of a certain strong and pronounced 
independence of character—his somewhat thin cheeks, 
full brow, as well as the little ridge of freckles over 
his aquiline nose and the flashing clear blue-grey 
eyes that showed their comprehension of every¬ 
thing mentioned, and continually changed colour in 
response to an undercurrent of varying thoughts 
and feelings. 

” Herr Geybert, when in my life do you suppose 
I should have a chance to collect butterflies? ” Kossling 
inquired somewhat bitterly as his mind compared 


HETTY GEYBERT 271 

Jason’s opportunities for development with his own 
bondage. 

“It is a pity,” Jason answered, looking at him in 
amazement, “ for it teaches many a lesson. It came 
to my mind this afternoon how, as a lad, I once had 
a caterpillar, a great fine, green caterpillar with blue 
and white stripes, a splendid, rare creature, and I 
was delighted to think what a pretty butterfly it would 
make. But one day my caterpillar grew limp, and in 
a moment shrank up like an empty leather tube. Do 
you know what had happened? The collectors say 
the creature had been pierced by one of those 
ichneumons that lay their eggs in the caterpillars. 
And as it grows the vermin inside grows too, without 
any outward sign, and apparently with no incon¬ 
venience to the caterpillar ; but then, quite suddenly, 
it shrinks up, and the white maggots bore through 
the wrinkled skin and live on its carcass. And the 
memory of this green caterpillar was forced upon me 
this afternoon.” 

“This afternoon?” Kossling laid down his fork 
and looked anxiously at Jason. 

“ Yes, this afternoon, when I was out at my ; 
brother’s in Charlottenburg.” 

“ Then you were in Charlottenburg after ail,” 
Kossling exclaimed, leaping up from his chair. 

“ Yes,” Jason quietly replied. “ But sit down 
again, dear Doctor, if we are to discuss it calmly.” 

Kossling grasped the balcony railing with one hand 
as he fell back into the capacious chair. 

“ We Geyberts, I think,” Jason thoughtfully con¬ 
tinued, “ we Geyberts are very like my green cater¬ 
pillar, that was never to turn into a butterfly. I wonder 
how long it will be before the vermin have entirely 
mastered us.” 

“Have you spoken for me, as you promised?” 
Kossling asked ; and in spite of the falling twilight 
Jason saw the deathly pallor of his face creeping up 
to the very roots of his hair, his eyes alone flashing 
with inner light. 


272 HETTY GEYBERT 

But Jason forced himself to keep calm. “ Of course 
I did,” he said. ‘‘Had you not my word for it?” 
Then he stopped. 

‘‘And?” asked Jason, almost choking over that 
one short word. 

Jason fingered his knife as he answered shortly 
with a shrug of his shoulders: ‘‘Then I just came 
away.” 

Kossling had igot up and was now standing, grasping 
the railing with both hands in front of Jason, a tall 
dark figure against the brightness of the evening sky. 

But Jason could see how even his back was shaken 
by sobs, and he, too, lost all his equanimity. 

All that Kossling felt was a dull pain above his 
eyes, just such a pain as he had felt as a boy in 
a scuffle with the poor-school boys when he had 
been struck by a leaden ball. For the moment he 
could remember nothing ; had no idea of the import 
of Jason’s words and of the loss they meant to him— 
all he felt was this pain in his head, the choking in 
his throat, and the tears running down his cheeks. 

“ Yes,” Jason resumed after a long pause, “ really, 
dear friend, I did not get any very favourable reply. 
But when I consider the matter, perhaps it is not quite 
so bad as it may appear to you now. Indeed, it may 
perhaps all be for the best for you. Men like you 
ought to be alone ; your roots are fixed in solitude 
and unsatisfied longing. You are making a mistake, 
Doctor ; men of your stamp are not meant to 
marry.” 

How all this bored Kossling ! As if he had ever 
even thought of marriage ; as if, indeed, he had ever 
clothed one of these overmastering feelings of his in 
thought ! How indifferent he was to all Jason’s 
words ! He scarcely even heard them. 

“ A sporting dog must never eat his fill or put 
on flesh if he is not to lose all his power of scent. 
And you, Kossling, are one of the sporting dogs that 
have to chase the game which no one else can catch.” 

Kossling listened for a moment as this comparison 


HETTY GEYBERT 273 

caught his attention. But, after all, what was it to 
do with him? 

Jason felt Kossling’s mood, although he neither 
turned nor answered. 

“ Now you are thinking this is just empty talk ; 
what does he know of my feelings? Dear Doctor, 
believe this one fact : the world has never yet under¬ 
stood a lover—and in times to come you will scarcely 
understand yourself.” 

Kossling tried to reply, but stopped short. Aftdr 
all, what else could he say now? 

“ Dear Doctor, I know what you mean. How often 
have I tried to run my head through a brick wall and 
almost cracked it in the process, always only to find 
afterwards that the world had been right.” 

Jason stopped as though expecting an answer, but 
when none whatever came he began again : 

“ When I was driving back this afternoon it struck 
me it was really of no importance to you whether 
your answer was * yes ’ or ‘ no ’.” 

Kossling turned sharply, as if he did not under¬ 
stand Jason. 

“ Yes, for as I said to myself, a ‘ no ’ can only 
affect your outer life and must leave the inner un¬ 
touched.” 

. “How?” Kossling spoke slowly, as if talking in 
his sleep. 

“ I thought it could in no way diminish your 
reverence nor touch your dreams and memories, and 
as 1 told myself, the best part of life—of our life 
at least—consists of memories and dreams. And I 
really believe that the affair is good as it is, for all 
that would only throw responsibilities upon you which 
your shoulders are not strong enough to bear.” 

Kossling listened thoughtfully ; at the moment it 
all sounded so gentle, persuasive, consoling, and 
prompted by mental cowardice he yielded to it, in 
spite of a thousand contradictory impulses. 

Yes,” Jason continued, “ you must not think that 
I calmly submitted to an unfavourable decision. I 

18 


274 


HETTY GEYBERT 


fought for you every step of the way. You have, 
too, another advocate in our family who took up your 
cause very warmly.” 

And Jason began to tell about the afternoon ; gave 
all the stages of the conversation over the game of 
whist in the summer-house ; how once or twice he 
thought he had almost persuaded his brother Solomon, 
who, however, always managed to find fresh counter¬ 
arguments and to draw his head out of the nooze 
once again. 

Meanwhile Kossling, opposite Jason, both hands 
grasping the top of the rail behind him, kept his 
head so deeply bowed that his face could not be seen 
Night—sad and oppressive—began to fall over the 
houses, and hid the distance behind her black veil. 
Beside Kossling’s dark form, a few stars no larger 
than pm-points peeped through the sky with a modest 
shy twinkle in the warm sultry night. Not a breath 
of air was stirring above the city, where smoke and 
mist hung so low that it seemed almost as if human 
hands could stretch up to the very clouds, did they but 
try hard enough. 

Jason warmed to his subject more and more 
twisting and turning everything this way and that until 
he convinced himself and Kossline. ea^erlv lignin« 



— ✓ -- ^ ^ V V y WCU. 

Jason especially emphasized the one point that his 
brothers great objection had been that Knwlint, wi 







HETTY GEYBERT 


275 


I am, and this I shall be,” then he would no doubt 
get a different answer. Even though his brother 
might pretend to have an eye for nothing but money and 
income, he would yet set just as high a value on a title 
and position. The fact was that no one in his circle 
could understand how anyone could have a doctor’s 
degree without making some material profit out of 
it, and this was a prejudice it was useless to try to 
combat. 

He—Jason—had indeed never thought from the first 
that anything could be achieved at the present 
moment ; it was possible, however, that there might 
be some hope for the future. 

‘‘And Hetty?” Kossling asked abruptly; his 
thoughts, no doubt, were not following Jason’s words. 

Jason started. He did not care to hear this intimate 
family name on another’s lips. “ My niece,” he said 
with emphasis. “ I have not talked to my niece nor 
do I wish to. Do you understand me, I wonder? I 
can uphold you in public ; even plead your cause in 
public. ... I have done both. But privately I 
neither can nor will do anything. We will, if you 
please, leave my niece out of the discussion altogether.” 

But no sooner had he spoken than Jason regretted 
his words, and continued in a kindly tone : “ Don’t 

misunderstand me, Doctor. I should not like any 
hopes to be aroused in my niece which, later on, could 
not be fulfilled. If there should happen to be any¬ 
thing hard or difficult to bear, then this burden must 
be borne by you alone. There will be time enough 
when you come back again. It should be enough 
for you to know that your affection is reciprocated. 
But if you do not achieve what you desire—and this 
is a contingency which we must consider—or again 
meet with a refusal, then every word said now would 
not only be a mistake and superfluous, but it would 
be criminal as well.” 

Kossling did not see the force of this statement, 
nor was he in the mood to follow any tortuous paths 
of Jason’s mental processes. 


276 HETTY GEYBERT 


Nothing rash must be done. You have, of 
course, time before you, but the first thing to do is 
to appear as if you accepted your rejection as fixed 
and final ; that will be your wisest course.” 

“ And your niece Hetty?” said Kossling. 

“ My niece !” Jason corrected. “ I think if she 
cares for you she will wait without my speaking to 
her, and without your breaking the promise you have 
given me. But if not—then you are not meant for 
each other.” 

Kossling shook his head. 

‘‘But don’t you understand me. Doctor? You 
surely cannot ask it of her until you know for certain 
the course that events will take. Or else the matter 
is like the game we always used to play as children ; 
one of us had to go into another room and we told 
him that when we called he would come through the 
wall—ready through the wall, not through the door 
And he used to sit there in the room, and sit, and sit • 
but he never came through the wall. Doctor, do you’ 
know why ? Because we never called. Children can play 
such a game just because they are children, but dear 
fnend, not we who have put away childish things ” 
No, no,” agreed Kossling, who had barely heard 
what was said. 


I am glad, do you know, that you are sensible 
a [ ld cal ? s ® e reason - is really best so, believe me 
although I am sorry that I have to say these things 
o you. I like you, but as I have just told you, if 
there is anything here hard to bear, it must be entirely 
borne by you and you alone. You must not give mV 
niece a single heartache that she does not already 
have. For every sad moment you cause her is 
after all, your fault.” > 

That Kossling understood, and the acute pain of 
self-reproach came as a secret, exhilarating relief from 

Solve y § mlS6ry * at P aral y sed every 


Then Jason went on to talk of what was to be done 
and what Kossling s prospects might be. 



HETTY GEYBERT 


277 


He had three irons in the fire, two in Brunswick 1 , 
but since he would rather not go back there, he had 
also now made an application to the library in Berlin, 
as assistant-librarian, to begin with ; it would be quite 
satisfactory if it materialized. He only had to work 
until three o’clock, when he was his own master and 
would no doubt find opportunities of every kind. 
He would like it too, as he was interested in any work 
amongst books. These enormous tides, always flooded 
again and again by a fresh deluge, these immense 
regions of which one mortal life could but embrace 
a corner, had always aroused a sense of awe and 
reverence in him. 

“Yes,” Jason answered, “but it must be an easy 
matter for you to find something at home.” 

And so they discussed this plan and that. 

Kossling had only a short time since been at home 
and could not go back again at once, because he 
had lately been earning less. Jason wanted to help 
him out with a few gold coins, but Kossling was not 
willing to accept his help. 

Jason, however, put before him that he was not 
really doing it for him, but on behalf of his niece, so 
that there was no need for Kossling to have any 
scruples about taking the money. Nor need he worry 
in the least about paying it back ; there was no hurry 
for that. He hoped Kossling would see that he really 
wished him well, although it might not have seemed 
so just now. 

After a lengthy argument, Jason conquered 
Kossling’s reluctance. Hetty, however—and this was 
the one stipulation—Hetty was to know nothing of 
all this ; he was not to see her nor tell her of his 
plans. This was the only thing Jason required—and 
with good reason—from Kossling. He—Jason—was 
obliged to insist on it because he did not want to 
play his brother false and because he would not be 
responsible for arousing hopes in Hetty that might 
never know fulfilment. If the two had really to be 
parted—a contingency that in view of Kossling’s 


278 


HETTY GEYBERT 


uncertain future might be only too possible^-then it 
had better be done now at once. It would be but 
the work of a moment later on to unite the broken 
threads, and then all the past would be forgotten. 
Jason said he could not understand why so many 
words were needed ; it almost seemed to him that 
Kossling’s affection was not so very deeply rooted, 
since he had to beg and entreat him to spare Hetty 
trouble and vexation. 

Kossling could not shut his eyes to the logic of 
this stern conclusion, and he assured Jason again and 
again that he was not deceived in him and that he 
would do everything to shield Hetty—he still said 
Hetty—from every sad moment. Only it was so hard, 
so dreadfully hard for the moment, that he must ask 
for Jason’s consideration. 

And Jason very nearly told him what had been so 
long on the tip of his tongue, as more than once to 
terrify him lest it should escape—namely, that all his 
arguments, apparently so reasonable, were simple 
nonsense and that in Heaven’s name he should settle 
the matter with Hetty alone. If she was willing, 
that was amply sufficient. And he would help him 
as much as he could and Eli would too, perhaps, 
if only the two of them had the necessary courage. 
All the time Jason had only been waiting for 
Kossling’s opposition to go over to the enemy’s 
camp with flying colours. But of this Kossling had 
no idea. 

To avoid having to say this—for he was now tired 
of this long, skilful fencing bout and longed for 
wholesome, plain speaking—Jason went quickly into 
the room and rummaged about in some recess of 
his writing-table, so that Kossling, outside in the dark, 
could hear a clinking and rattling. Then Jason came 
back and said he expected that would be enough, 
and that, at any time, he could have as much again 
if he needed it. 

Kossling was still standing with his back against 
the balcony railing and his head bent, a dark figure 


HETTY GEYBERT 


279 


against the sad, low, evening sky with its scattered 
stars of ruddy, twinkling light. 

All this was so humiliating for him ; the money 
that the other gave him and which he was compelled 
to take only made his bitter feeling of dependence 
more acute and intensified the deep gulf that separated 
him from all the Geyberts. 

His dull pain of a little time back had vanished, 
leaving in its place a feeling of paralysis, of spiritless 
self-pity, that asked again and again what then had 
really happened and how Fate had really worked in 
his disfavour, until he passed his hands over his body 
and found that he was exactly the same as before. 

But Jason felt that at any rate Kossling had gained 
time in which to get over it and that in two or three 
months everything might have a different aspect. 
Perhaps—who could tell ?—it might all end well 
after all. 

* * * * * 

At the very hour when Jason and Kossling were 
standing side by side on the balcony, in the warm 
grey night that weighed upon the city with its heavy 
veil of mist, standing looking silently into the darkness 
of the courtyards, only broken, here and there, by the 
ridge of some broad roof or a mysterious twinkle of 
light from some silent dwelling—each absorbed in his 
own thoughts as once before when they leant over 
the 'bridge-—at this very hour, Hetty, with her head 
on her hand, was sitting, barely five miles away, 
at her open window in Charlottenburg, looking at 
the sky spread out here like a dark-blue silken tent 
above the dark tops of the lime-trees. 

The silken tent was bestrewn and bespangled with 
hundreds of glistening sapphires—sapphires in rows 
of fiery dots, in lines, triangles, squares and strange 
diagrams, then again with sapphires that were laid 
on close together in thick groups as if a handful of 
bright grains had been thrown and stuck up there ; 
and lastly, a portion of this tent was adorned with 


280 HETTY GEYBERT 

single stars of special beauty and brilliance, finer 
than the others and standing independently aloof in 
the heavy, dark-blue silk. The sky was literally 
covered with stars just as on some autumn night. 

The sultry heat of the day had gone, and Hetty, 
as she sat in her light clothing by the window, was 
almost cold in the sweet fresh air blowing from the 
limes. But it was remarkably quiet for a Sunday 
evening, and Hetty could plainly hear Wolfgang 
breathing as he lay sleeping on the sofa in the dark 
room behind hers. 

Earlier in the evening Hetty had gone straight to 
her room and in utter dejection fallen on her bed 
like a stone. Burrowing into the pillows, she had 
lain there some long time, with wide-open eyes fixed 
on the white ceiling, her neck strained, and with closed, 
trembling fists. Then she had burst into sobs that 
shook her whole body. She did not really know 
why she cried ; all she felt was an indescribable 
sadness, a bitter weariness. She never once thought 
that she would lose Kossling, for she had never really 
believed that he would be hers, since she felt that 
she would only be a drag upon him. But that it 
all should have been so short ... of course it was 
better so for him, for what could she ever be to 
him ? But for her, who would never get anything m!ore 
from life. . . . And between the muttered sentences, 
between her dreams and complaints, between reassur¬ 
ances and ever-recurring questions as to why this 
should come upon her, just upon her, who all her life 
long had never done anyone an injury—between all 
these, her deep, tempestuous sobs for moments together 
put a stop to groans and thoughts alike. 

At last, however, her tears only came like the few ' 
last heavy drops that fall from the trees when the 
force of the tempest is overpast and it only hangs on 
the far horizon as a grey sunlit wall, and her sobs 
only shook Hetty like the passing gust of wind that 
sweeps the moisture from the roofs. A sense of 
gentle grief came over her, of resignation to her 


HETTY GEYBERT 


281 


pain. Hetty neither thought nor repined ; she did 
not speculate as to what happened that afternoon— 
she only felt that all her hopes lay shattered. Only 
one phrase did she murmur to herself—ten, nay 
twenty times—that she really had always been kind 
and friendly to everyone, that she wished no one 
ill, had done no wrong to any, and that she had 
always been alone and had known neither father 
nor mother. 

Then her aunt had come very quietly to the door, 
knocked quietly, and quietly begged Hetty to come 
in to supper, and afterwards some arrangements would 
have to be made for Wolfgang. Hetty had got up, 
feeling bruised in every limb, had smoothed out the 
creases in her gown and bathed her eyes so that no 
one should see she had been crying. 

It was no very pleasant atmosphere in the parlour. 
Jenny was tired, and Ferdinand and Janey had been 
almost insulting each Qther a few minutes before. The 
new cousin Julius had attached himself to Solomon, 
and the two were discussing the solvency of various 
customers in Posen and Breslau. His loss at cards 
had made Eli irritable, and he was letting Minnie 
feel the brunt of his ill-humour. Rika was worrying 
the maids to be quick with their service so that the 
horses need not be kept standing so long, and 
Ferdinand went out himself to see if they were well 
covered up, although Eli remarked that he could 
not understand Ferdinand, for his sorry old East 
Prussian nags could not possibly get any stiffer. 

The light hurt Hetty’s eyes and every sound went 
through her head like a knife, but there she sat, 
tall, pale, upright, with only one overwhelming desire : 
to be once more alone. 

Ferdinand was the first to get up, with the last 
bite still in his mouth, and chewing and smacking his 
lips, he assured his hostess that it had been quite 
delightful. But Eli was the most leisurely of all, and 
said to Hetty : “ They’ll not drive off without me, 
and if they did, I’d just stay the night out here. I 


282 


HETTY GEYBERT 


can assure you, my child, the air even in Stein Road 
is no better than this.” 

When they were all scolding outside, he got up at 
last and went out very slowly with Hetty, who alone 
had not deserted him. Since it was half-dark and 
Eli’s eyes, as he said, no longer of the sharpest, he 
begged for Hetty’s arm, and as they stepped out into 
the little veranda and could see by the flickering light 
of the newly lit carriage lamps how they were all 
bustling about here and there, whilst Ferdinand, patting 
the horses on neck and shoulder, tested the harness, 
and the new cousin Julius had already taken full 
possession of the back seat which Jason had occupied 
before—when they stepped out, Eli stood still for a 
moment with Hetty, as if he had to get his breath. 

“ One thing I tell you, dear Hetty,” he said with 
slow emphasis, “ no marrying into the family down 
there; do you understand? I just wanted to say 
that to you.”- 

With these words he drew his arm out of Hetty’s, 
and with his eighty-year-old legs gaily clattered down 
the wooden steps. 

‘‘Eli! Eli! what are you stopping for?” cried 
Ferdinand. 

“ Well, I suppose you can wait a bit,” Eli peevishly 
replied. 

The horses started off at once, whilst Wolfgang 
came running up to throw his arms round Hetty 
and rub his head against her as he told her how glad 
he was he could stop, and especially that he didn’t 
have to go to school in the “Monastery” the next 
morning, but could get a long sleep. 

Solomon and Rika looked after the departing guests 
for a time until other vehicles came in the way, when 
they came in again very slowly, arm-in-arm. To 
have visitors like that all day really was tiring, 
they said, so they would finish up at once and go 
to bed. 

Could Wolfgang sleep for once on the sofa in 
Hetty s room, at any rate to-night ? He was only 


HETTY GEYBERT 


283 


a boy, after all ! Or else his bed could always be 
put up in the dining-room. And off they went, arm- 
in-arm, as they had come up the steps, with a parting 
injunction to put out the lamps carefully, so that 
there might be no accident such as one continually 
heard and read about. 

Now Hetty was alone with Wolfgang, who, overcome 
with sudden fatigue, blinked at her with dull, half- 
closed eyes. 

“ Well, Wolfgang, we shall get on all right 
together.” And she took something from her own 
bed and something from the maid’s bed that was 
not being used and made up a resting-place for the 
lad on the hard, badly upholstered settee, so soft and 
comfortable that he stretched out his limbs in delight, 
as he told her he wasn’t half so well off at home, 
then turned his face to the wall and was asleep in 
a minute. 

Then Hetty was again left by herself, and in the 
half-darkness she slipped off her dress and threw a 
light wrap round her shoulders. Sleep was out of 
the question, so she sat down quietly by the window 
and looked out into the night. There had been a little 
talking in the other bedroom, but that, too, had stopped 
and all she could hear was Wolfgang breathing at 
the other end of the dark, silent room. 

Back flew all the thoughts she had had before ; not 
one was missing. Hetty told herself a hundred times 
that it was a good thing for Kossling ; he would soon 
get over it and climb up higher, but that, in spite of 
all, she would never love him less. And she bemoaned 
her fate, for this she had not deserved ; her eyes 
filled again, and as she dropped her head the tears 
fell in a cool stream on her hot, bare arms. And 
between tears and smothered sobs Hetty again repeated 
in an unintelligible whisper a word, a sentence, the 
same thing ten or twenty times. She called Kossling 
by name in her longing to say good-bye to him, 
just one last good-bye. She had always been lonely 
in life ; why was she here ? How unfair it was, 


284 HETTY GEYBERT 

when she had always been kind to everyone and never 
done or wished ill to a single person ! 

She lifted her head up from her arms and with 
wide-open eyes looked into the flickering sapphires 
on the deep-blue silken background, wondering if 
there were any up there as hopeless and unhappy as 
she was ; then, when all the bright sparks faded 
away before her swimming eyes, she once more buried 
her head for quite a long time in the warm darkness 
of her bare, folded arms. 

The quieter it grew, the less she heard people 
passing, or carriage wheels or the whispering trees, 
the sadder and more hopeless Hetty felt, the more 
oppressed by her loneliness and the more confused 
in her complaints and protests. What would she do 
then ? Who would miss her if she went away from 
here? Her aunt would not have any less tasty dinner 
cooked on that account, and her uncle would only stay 
away from business for one morning at the most. J 
Uncle Ferdinand would go to his game of whist next 
day, and in three days’ time Uncle Jason would be 
sitting at the confectioner’s again and trying to get 
hold of the latest Paris newspapers. 

And Hetty, in her misery, persuaded herself more 
and more how unwanted she was, unwanted by every 
living creature. But if she had repeated at some 
calmer moment all that she now whispered into the 
cool silence of the starlit night, she would have seen 
the bitter injustice she did to all her family who, 
in their own way, were certainly very fond of her! 
But this was not one of Hetty’s calm times. No, 
indeed, she trembled in every limb, at one moment 
tingling with fiery heat, the next shivering with 
damp cold. She felt as though her whole body 
was strung on wires or catgut strings that kept up a 
ceaseless, vibrating hum. But he, what would he 
say if he should hear that she was dead, that she had 
died for his sake? He would surely feel that it was 
a beautiful fate to be so greatly loved. That feeling 
would never leave him all his days j would always 


HETTY GEYBERT 285 

be about his path and consecrate his every thought 
and deed. Pain in its beauty would be a diadem 
upon his brow. Hetty thought of Charlotte Stieglitz, 
and how everyone had praised her deed. She too 
would have the same courage. If only she knew that 
it would be for his good. She would take her long 
clasp, the old silver one that Uncle Jason had once 
given her, and would push its fine sharp pin in slowly 
here, very slowly, deep into the white skin below 
her left bosom. 

Hetty could feel the long-drawn-out, piercing pain, 
a pain with a keen point, and could see the grey silver 
pin quietly sink into the white flesh until it was quite 
buried, as if embedded in a down cushion. Her tears 
fell once more and her head sank nervelessly again 
down to the warmth of her bare, folded arms, limp 
and heavy, just as a dark thick-leaved tulip bends to 
the ground. 

Then Hetty seemed to hear steps coming flap, flap, 
as of bare feet across the boards, but she did not 
lift her head. 

“ Hetty,” Wolfgang said very shyly, laying his warm 
child’s hand on her neck, “ you must not keep on 
crying like this.” 

“ Oh, what do you know about it? ” Hetty answered 
in a smothered tone and with her tears still falling. 

But Wolfgang only nodded his head with precocious 
wisdom. 

“It is not right of you to go on crying* like that. 
Listen, I love you too.” 

“ Yes, you ! ” Hetty sobbed. 

But, by then, Wolfgang had already encircled her 
neck with both arms. “You must not cry ! I cannot 
bear to hear it,” he repeated again and again. 

Hetty drew the lad who stood before her in his 
long white nightshirt, trembling a little with cold, 
on to her lap, threw her arms round him and kissed 
him on forehead and lips. And those kisses of once 
before, with their fiery passion, their ardour and 
warmth, seemed once more to be pressed upon her 


286 


HETTY GEYBERT 


mouth. But the little fellow in his white shirt, not 
in the least knowing how he felt, returned with parted 
lips these caresses that really were meant for another. 
Every trace of sadness had flown from Hetty ; in 
a moment it was gone, and fresh courage and zest 
ran through her veins. Then she lifted the boy in 
her arms and carried him into the dark room to 
his bed. 

“ There, Wolfgang,” and to her own amazement 
she even laughed ; “ now off you go to sleep again.” 

When this was said, Hetty went over to her own 
bed, very quietly slipped off her things and crept 
under the blanket. And whilst she was already 
sleeping a sound and dreamless sleep—for her day 
had been a very busy one—Wolfgang still lay with 
hot wide-open eyes, full of feverish fancies as he 
remembered the kisses and tenderness. And if his 
mouth touched the sheet a quiver passed through 
him and he thought his lips were once more pressjed 
against Hetty’s cheeks, her cool white temples and 
the locks of her beautiful hair. 

* * * * ' * 

And things came as come they must ; everything 
as come it must. 

The lilac, the beautiful young lilac with its blue 
blossoms turned brown and withered, the laburnum 
soon waved only green seed-pods in the air instead 
of its golden banners, the hawthorn flowers sank away 
among the leaves, and the cherry-trees caught one’s 
eye, even at a distance, with their little coral-red fruit 
shining amongst the branches. The birds, too, had 
exchanged their unwearying songs for nothing but 
slow, lazy or quarrelsome chirping in the early 
morning. 

Instead of the thousands of blossoms on lilac, 
laburnum, hawthorn and on all the bushes round about, 
all that was left was only the innumerable yellow 
honey-scented drops on the four wide rows of lime- 
trees on either side of the road. The bees hummed 


HETTY GEYBERT 287 

amongst the leaves till far into the evening, so that 
Hetty, now often sitting silently at the window, always 
thought it was a big kettle of water boiling somewhere 
m the distance that was making all this singing and 
bubbling. 

. And the fine spring days, when each seemed to 
vie with its neighbour in beauty, were followed by 
days of high wind, sweeping through the trees, and 
of splashing rain that absolutely tore the leaves off 
the branches and then, like a bad boy, stamped them 
to pieces on the ground. 

I hen came days of relentless heat, when everything 
hung limp and faded and it was quite impossible to 
get enough water to refresh the garden ; days when 
it was so hot that Hetty could scarcely get outside 
the house before the evening ; days when every vehicle 
brought fresh clouds of dust, which were driven on 
by each new puff of wind and settled before Hetty’s 
very eyes in the front garden as a grey film on the 
foliage of the dark-green bushes. Moreover, if in 
these hot days a reluctant evening shower really sent 
a few heavy drops pattering on to the leaves, it in no 
way washed off this film, but only sprinkled the leaves 
till they showed a gay check pattern. 

But away amongst the fruit-trees Hetty saw but 
little dust and all was still green and bright, even if 
spring’s first delicate tints had long since vanished 
and everything had grown so luxuriant and rampant 
that Hetty was no longer surrounded, as in spring, with 
tender bushes, but entrenched on every side by strong, 
impenetrable barriers. 

New summer flowers were always appearing in 
friendly confusion ; cheek by jowl the crowded 
stems of gillyflowers and stocks, amaranth, lobelia, 
convolvulus, and even the first early asters, had already 
come to join the gay company. New fruits, too, were 
ripening there from day to day, white pearls hanging 
on the currant-bushes, great drops of blood below 
the strawberry-leaves and red tears on the raspberry- 
canes. The quinces hung green and velvety on the 


288 


HETTY GEYBERT 


branches, the pears were turning red and brown 
already, and only the apples, still green and yellow, 
were biding their time until the coming of the late 
sunny autumn days. And if the flowers were tempted 
to hang their limp and weary heads in the midday 
heat, these others—these promises fulfilled—did but 
sun themselves more cheerfully in the dazzling, all- 
pervading glare. 

But in the town this summer was unbearably close 
and sultry in the hazy air of the streets. Unwholesome 
vapours rose from the Spree and the canals and, as 
happened every year at this hot season, rumours were 
rife of illness, low fever and typhus, and the news¬ 
papers reported epidemics creeping round the world 
like hungry wolves in ever-narrowing circles. Report 
was no less busy with the bad state of the King’s 
health. Some said he might die any day and others 
whispered that since the next year was 1840, evil 
happenings were sure to come. All Berlin was in a 
fever of excitement. Desires and probabilities, that 
at another time would scarcely have been mentioned 
in private, were now openly discussed on every side, 
in restaurants, in students’ class-rooms and, thinly 
veiled, even in the newspapers as well. Some people 
expected everything, others nothing ; indeed, it was 
even said to be a bad sign that Professor Savigny 
was again attacking Gans, and jokes and comic poems 
circulated in Berlin about Hengstenberg and the 
Pietists, about the Crown Prince, the new Cathedral 
and the path to Jerusalem. What was asserted one 
day was contradicted the next, and the more unbridled 
the reports concerning those in authority, the tighter 
the gag applied by police and censor. 

Jason, richer, as we have already said,, by a breast¬ 
pin of Karlsbad pebbles—it was the size of a man’s 
thumb-nail—and in the possession of a goblet of ruby 
glass, had once more said good-bye for a year to 
gay silk waistcoats, bidden farewell to silken wraps, 
and was now quite in the swim of things again. He 
had his days fully occupied, listening and discussing 


HETTY GEYBERT 2 89 

with others, looking through all the papers, and 
weighing chances and possibilities ; for, although at 
heart he was a red-hot republican, he was yet 
clever enough only to reckon with existing circum¬ 
stances. 

To Hetty, at Charlottenburg, however, this all came 
only as the breaking of the billows on some distant 
shore which the listener may mistake for nothing 
more than a vehicle driving over some wood-paved 
road. And if she chanced at any time to come into 
Berlin, Hetty, even then, noticed little of what was 
in the air, for people bustled through the streets just 
as busy with their own affairs and as unconcerned as 
usual. If Uncle Jason had not sometimes brought 
out a little inflammatory literature, Hetty would 
certainly have heard next to nothing from her Uncles 
Solomon and Ferdinand, who—Heaven knows why—so 
often now had something to do in Charlottenburg, in 
company with the new cousin Julius. The two older 
men, indeed, did sometimes discuss public affairs, but 
the new cousin Julius stated brusquely that politics 
were ruinous ; a sensible man had plenty to do with' 
his business, and such things only made him neglect 
his work. Even if his hearers could not entirely 
dispute the truth of these maxims, they nevertheless 
sounded somewhat strange on the new cousin’s lips. 
For the arrangements for his own business were not 
nearly settled yet, as far as could be seen, and when¬ 
ever he stated with absolute certainty that at last 
every difficulty had been overcome, the very next time 
he came a whole series of fresh, unexpected hindrances 
had arisen which he had to circumnavigate with the 
skill of a whaler caught amongst the icebergs’ 
towering peaks. 

But the new cousin Julius never let such things 
make him sing any smaller, nor did his failures seem 
to have any adverse effect either upon his physical 
or mental well-being ; he always looked equally fit 
and rosy, and declared he was no loser by it—perhaps, 
indeed, a gainer, as his season really only began in the 

19 



290 HETTY GEYBERT 

winter. . . . Who knows but that he was right there 
too ? 

Uncle Ferdinand, however, had certainly every 
reason to be pleased, for his business in the spring and 
succeeding summer, as far as could be seen, up till 
now, had exceeded all expectations and, he was now 
floating like a cork on the very top of a wave of 
success. He had settled his family in Schoneberg, 
in such a tiny house that, if Jason was to be believed, 
a man could put his hand on the top of the chimney 
until all the inmates had to cough and hasten to 
throw open the windows. But, all the same, the 
house had a beautiful large garden running down 
to the open fields too—not nearly so stuffy as the 
Charlottenburg garden, Aunt Janey affirmed. Besides, 
the price was quite reasonable, Ferdinand said, feeling 
that such thoughtfulness on his part marked him out 
as a model husband and father and fully acquitted 
him of all other obligations to his family. 

Old Aunt Minnie, though, told Hetty a mysterious 
tale about a person, a real “ person,” who had come 
bustling like a water-wagtail out of a house—she would 
not say which—in Kloster Street and then, from 
the other side, had waved to an upstairs window ; 
she would not say which. Yes ! She wouldn’t say 
any more, but it didn’t seem quite the thing to her, 
and if she were Aunt Janey, she would make a few 
inquiries. But she—Aunt Minnie—would, of course, 
take good care not to put her fingers in that pie. 

As we have remarked before, worthy Aunt Minnie 
knew no evil, and she would have been astounded, 
would worthy Aunt Minnie, if she had realized that 
her keen-sighted observation told her niece no news, 
for Janey even knew the “ real person’s ” name and 
where she lived. 

And so Ferdinand Geybert’s affairs were very 
flourishing this summer. 

But Solomon Geybert’s were not doing so badly 
either. Solomon, as we have already said, had comte 
home from Karlsbad and Leipzig completely satisfied. 



HETTY GEYBERT 


291 


and he continued to look well right into the autumn 
and until the air of his Berlin office had gradually 
wiped off his veneer of health and vigour. Every 
Wednesday and Saturday evening he enjoyed hearing 
Aunt Rika say that anyone would take him for an 
English lord with his air of distinction and agility. 
For Solomon was at business all the week, only coming, 
as a rule, on Wednesday and without fail on Saturday 
and Sunday to Charlottenburg, for he hated having 
to drive out. Thus husband and wife saw one another 
but seldom, and consequently they were on miuch! 
better terms and not nearly so disposed to differ 
as in winter and spring. But the delighted Aunt 
Minnie’s assertion that Solomon and Rika—a great 
contrast to Ferdinand and Janey—now lived like 
lovers, was perhaps not quite in accordance with 
actual fact. 

She herself—Aunt Minnie—was unhappy in her 
married life. Not like Janey and Ferdinand—Heaven 
| forbid—but her Eli was growing stranger every day. 
Sometimes he heard nothing and sometimes said 
nothing. As these two conditions were never 
coincident, and as, so Aunt Minnie said, he talked a 
great deal on his deaf days, and therefore on his chatty 
days heard badly, whilst he said little the days he could 
hear well, there was no managing at all with him. 
Besides, the lump on Eli’s head was always getting 
bigger, just up there on his head ; it frightened 
Minnie. As she said, you never knew. The doctor, 
of course, said it was of no importance, but what 
does a doctor like that know? 

So there really was nothing more to be said, and 
everyone’s life ran its course in the most charming 
monotony and unity, ran as smoothly as cotton on 
a machine-spool, and when Aunt Rika said, “ The 
Wednesday after next, when Solomon comes, I shall 
have tongue and green peas again,” then, exactly 
at the appointed hour, Solomon came, and shortly 
after a tongue, a beautiful smoked, salted tongue and 
i great dish full of steaming, young peas appeared on 




292 HETTY GEYBERT 

the table. There was plenty for supper, no doubt of 
that. And there was not an angry or quarrelsome 
word and no little disputes as usual, but they were i 
all pleasant to each other and merry, for the uncle | 
always brought back a dozen fresh jokes from the town 
that he wove into an amusing puzzle-game by piecing 
the heads and tails of one on to the foundation of 
another, and sometimes even three ran into one another. 
They made expeditions as well, went to garden 
concerts, gave parties and Italian evenings with tiny 
coloured lamps in the garden ; in short, enjoyed them¬ 
selves to the full. The marks on the export cases 
had long since risen from S.G. Co. 16 to S.G. Co. 
107, if not higher, and even if the bills of exchange 
were really long instead of short, that accommodated 
itself in a few days again or they were cleverly 
discounted by way of Russia, so that ultimately loss 
was turned into profit. In short, life was a joy 
amongst the Geyberts. 

Well, of course everything is never quite smooth ! 
Wolfgang was not specially well, but, as they said, no 
doubt that was just his age and would pass late'r. 
Without knowing it, he had, in his week out at 
Charlottenburg, helped Hetty over difficult days. Hetty 
had grown even fonder of him than before, because 
he was so quiet and so grateful for every kind word 1 
or look. Then that affair with Hetty herself ; not 
a word was said about it ; indeed, they tried to dismiss 
it from their thoughts even. But of course it would 
pass in time, and as a reasonable being she would 
naturally get over it. The best plan was to pretend 1 
to know nothing. And they were so affectionate to 
Hetty—all of them, Janey as well as Ferdinand, 
Jason and Minnie—as affectionate as possible. Uncle 
Solomon was almost tender to her, and her aunt 
acted as if any little help Hetty might give in the 
housekeeping was a favour for which she could never 
be grateful enough. Indeed, there had been scarcely 
a sharp word uttered in the whole matter. 

This was just what had broken Hetty’s passive 



HETTY GEYBERT 293 

resistance, for indeed the greatest tyranny is found 
where there are no commands, no angry words. It 
is always so easy to be stiff-necked when others are 
unkind and hard, and equally difficult when they are 
soft-spoken and gentle ; and it is always so easy to 
carry through your own will against opposition, anjd 
no less difficult when no one contradicts and you do 
it at your own risk. For when others take up an 
adverse attitude they seem to relieve you of the 
responsibility which otherwise weighs entirely on your 
own shoulders. 

During the first weeks, Hetty was always wanting 
to broach the subject of Kossling ; she had so firmly 
resolved to speak to her uncle about him—when he 
came. Then her uncle did come, got out of the 
carriage with such delight, kissed her, put his arm 
round his wife, brought them both flowers and 
bonbons, never stopped talking all dinner-time, and 
was so frank and unsuspicious, never even making the 
slightest allusion to what had happened or pausing 
for a moment to give Hetty an opportunity of putting, 
in a word, so that she could only sit by and listen in 
silence. And when he went away again early the 
next morning or on the Monday, she had not yet 
spoken to him and determined to catch her uncle 
the very next time, come what might. But when 
the day came round again she turned shy once miore 
and, as soon as it was past, really felt relieved to have 
deferred the explanation till another time. 

Even if Hetty’s nights at first were sleepless and 
her solitude bedewed with tears, yet life came every 
day anew with all its demands—with a hundred people 
that wanted to consult Hetty ; with the charge of the 
housekeeping, which still, after as before, rested 
entirely on Hetty’s shoulders ; with walks and garden 
concerts, to which she had to go with her aunt ; with 
sewing for birthdays, and news, with papers and books. 
At first Hetty had read away at the books, spending 
an hour over one page and at the end not knowing 
a word that was on it, but by slow degrees, books 


294 HETTY GEYBERT 

took their former place in her life and she was glad 
to have them. 

And what was it she wanted to tell her uncle ? 
Someone had come, they had met once or twice, had 
told each other of their love, then the other had gone 
away and she had heard nothing more of him. It 
was like a dream that passes as we open our eyes to 
daylight ; a dream that, as a whole, becomes clearer 
in our memory whilst its details slowly fade, become 
disjointed and seem unfounded. But the dream itself, 
in its depth and brightness, shines upon our path and 
never leaves us wherever we may go. And so it 
was with Hetty. 

Week after week passed. Hetty seized every 
opportunity to go into the city, invented excuses and 
errands, which she so divided that she never brought 
much back with her, intentionally forgot one thing 
or another, so that she might have to go into Berlin 
again—but she never met Kossling. If she thought 
she saw him coming from the distance in the sunny 
hot Konig Street, and trembled with shaking knees, 
it was always a disappointment and someone passed 
her indifferently, not the least like Kossling, not even 
in his gait. Hetty had often wanted to write to 
Kossling, but then she remembered, with a feeling of 
shame, that she had no idea where he lived ; then 
her pride rebelled : could he not write, if he wanted 
anything? But no doubt he did not wish to hear any 
more about her. Although Hetty had practically 
never suffered for her Jewish birth—for, thanks to 
her winning charm and dignity, the beautiful girl 
had, all her life, only met with kindly faces wherever 
she went—although, so far, she had never suffered 
for it, yet sometimes she had a suspicion that this, 
perhaps, was the reason why Kossling kept away. 
And for days she would find new accusations against 
Kossling, intermingled with tears and protestations, 
with self-torture and reproach. Then there were again 
days when Hetty understood Kossling completely, when 
she said to herself he had been refused and had left 


HETTY GEYBERT 


295 


her without a word, not to make it harder for them 
both. Perhaps it was better so. But then Hetty 
felt as if she must go herself to Kossling and tell 
him that she was his, and that, far from depriving 
her of anything, he only enriched her, and that it 
would ever be her one joy to bear every deprivation 
at his side ; if he did but wish it, she would go to 
him the next day, regardless of what the world would 
say ; if only he had the courage to face it, hers would 
not fail. After this, however, Hetty would tell herself 
that Kossling was ill and alone and that she must go 
and nurse him ; for days she would be under the 
dominance of this idea with all its palpably evident 
suggestions ; again she was continually a prey to 
innumerable sensations that she was too small and 
insignificant for Kossling, and therefore he had walked 
away and left her. 

Scarcely a day, scarcely an hour, passed when Hetty 
was not drawn aimlessly along, by this never-ending 
chain of thoughts or wrong conclusions, and her mind, 
already half distraught, was caught anew in fresh toils, 
whilst from the only one who could have given her 
any enlightenment, from Jason, Hetty could get 
nothing at all. 

At first, after that Sunday, Jason had not come 

to Charlottenburg for many a long week, and then, 
when Hetty did at last see him, and seized a rrioment 

when they were free from observation to ask him 

about Kossling, his only answer was an embarrassed 
smile and a pat on her cheek, as he said he had, 
for a long time, not heard anything of Kossling. 
That was all. And once afterwards, when Jason and 
the others came out on Sunday—all of them, as 

well as one and another that her uncle brought with 
him— an d Hetty asked Jason privately about Kossling, 
she only got a kindly smile and a sympathetic glance, 
but not a word to throw any light on the position. 
Yet Jason himself was full of inward pride in his 
cleverness in neither arousing nor destroying Hetty’s 
hopes. 


296 HETTY GEYBERT 

Weeks followed weeks, and if Hetty had not 
noticed the changes in the garden—for since that 
Sunday she had found it too painful ever to go into 
the park again—she would have had no idea how 
time was passing, whether it was still June or already 
August or even September—the days and nights 
merged so quietly and unnoticed one into another and 
life flowed on in such quiet monotony, whilst not a 
day brought her nearer to any goal. At first she 
had at least greeted each new day and each new 
book with pleasure, hoping from the one some change 
in her lot, some beauty from the other, but now she 
began the new morning in listless silence and picked 
up the new book with no expectations and laid it 
down again, having gained nothing. It distracted her 
mind, occupied her for a time indeed, but the effect 
soon wore off. 

Now as Hetty slept but little at night and still shed 
many tears when she was alone—although her pain 
had grown more shadowy—her appearance and her 
face began to tell their own tale ; she began to lose 
her brightness of colour just as her quickness of 
movement and dignity of bearing showed signs of 
diminishing. Most of all, her eyes, which had always 
held some inquiring wonder as well as a beautiful 
inner calm in their bright velvet depths, now often 
lay—whenever Hetty fancied herself unobserved—like 
two hard black stones in her pale face. Hetty felt 
this change, for she loved her beauty as a dear friend, 
but she was powerless to fight against it, and one 
morning even, when she saw a grey hair running 
from her parting in front to the back of her head, 
she felt it was not worth while to pull it out. Indeed, 
it went so far that she, who had always been fond of 
pretty things and had liked to dress nicely and in 
good taste, now neglected it all and her aunt had 
to call her attention to a missing button or a loose 
braid. 

This did not escape her uncle’s notice, and one 
evening—the walls being thin in Charlottenburg— 


HETTY GEYBERT 


297 


Hetty heard him mention it to his wife. But her 
aunt replied there was nothing strange in that, it 
was always the same with unmarried girls of that age, 
and, for her part, she could not understand why Hetty 
had not found a husband long since. Then Uncle 
Solomon grew angry, and said furiously she was 
always reproaching him about it as if it was his fault ; 
did she suppose he could take the girl on his back 
and offer her for sale to all and sundry? Surely that 
was not required of him. Then Aunt Rika begged 
and implored him' to speak more softly, for every 
word could, no doubt, be heard in the other room. 

If Hetty had heard this a few weeks before it 
would have excited and worried her for days, but 
now she took it quite calmly. The following morning, 
indeed, the memory revived in her and again once 
more in a few unguarded moments, but soon it died 
away entirely, swallowed up by the dull monotony of 
her days, untouched by any outward change, like those 
forest lakes whose waters are always smooth and black, 
however much the wind may rush through the tree- 
trunks or roar above them. 

Week after week passed ; the evenings grew longer 
and her aunt began once more to drink her cup of 
tea into which she dropped three or four lumps of 
orange sugar, which, she maintained, was not so good 
anywhere as here in Charlottenburg at the apothecary 
Niemann’s shop. Outside in the orchard all the red 
had disappeared and only apples, late pears and 
quinces still hung on the boughs, already not quite 
so impenetrable, and with their dark-green summer 
leaves now a little paler, here and there, indeed!, 
even showing a little touch of yellow. And after a 
few rainy days with their grey drip and drizzle covering 
everything, even the tall garden trees, that had so 
far scouted the very idea of autumn, showed whole 
branches of brightest yellow in the midst of their 
summer foliage. Even when there was no wind, one 
or another leaf, yellow or maybe still almost green, 
broke off and floated peacefully down on to the paths, 


298 


HETTY GEYBERT 


into the bushes, or danced away into the corner of 
the summer-house, where Hetty was sitting all alone. 
Yet the days were wonderfully fine and the sun 
shone bright and warm through the pale-blue air 
on to the great yellow rows of dahlias and on the 
tall, thick beds of homely cottage flowers, miany- 
coloured phlox and purple amaranth. The swallows 
were practising their flight over the bare meadows 
at the back, and hundreds of white butterflies flashed 
their silvery wings outside over fields and hedges 
and inside above the flower borders and bushes in 
one continual coming and going. 

Aunt Rika was already anxious to go home again, 
for she no longer knew how to occupy herself, out 
in the country, but Uncle Solomon assured her there 
was nothing to gain by going back to the town, and 
they should just stay in the fine air as long as possible ; 
besides, there was a great deal of typhus in Berlin, 
and, on that account, he would rather they did not 
come yet ; also, as a last argument, hadn’t the summer 
rent for their lodgings been high enough to make 
it a pity to give them up before their time was 
quite out? 

And though all other arguments might have failed, 
the fact of typhus in the town was enough to convince 
Aunt Rika. For although she had never known, so 
far, what illness meant and had, indeed, escaped the 
pains that fall to the lot of most womlen, yet she haxl 
a holy terror of any ill that might befall her own 
physical welfare. She even went so far that she never 
visited an invalid and would not have hesitated to 
leave her own husband to be nursed by strangers 
rather than her own precious body should run any 
risk. 

Then came a few specially fine days, as warm as 
any in summer, when, if it had not been for the 
motionless, yellow leaves on the trees, the last rampant 
growth on all sides and the twilight that so early 
stole the sunshine from the warm days and turned 
them into damp darkness, no one would have believed 


HETTY GEYBERT 


299 


that it was October already ; indeed, in the city, there 
were scarcely any signs of it. 

So Aunt Rika said she would like to see all the 
family out there once more, for who could tell how 
long the fine weather might last ; and Uncle Solomon 
sent his man, Gustav, to Stein Road to Minnie and Eli, 
to Ferdinand’s house, for his family were back again 
now, to Jason in Kloster Street, and to Julius, who 
lodged somewhere or other in Parochial Street ; an 
invitation went as well to the old lady with the 
poodle curls ; indeed, he would have asked other 
acquaintances too, but Aunt Rika said, no strange 
faces, she would rather, as this was the last time they 
would all be together, out here, just have only the 
family. And they had better come the very next 
day, Thursday, in the afternoon, for who could tell if 
it would still be fine on Sunday ? But it would (certainly 
last till to-morrow, and there was nothing attractive in 
Charlottenburg if they could not be out in the 
beautiful garden. 

So about three o’clock there really came in the 
warm, bright sunshine, between the two yellow rows 
of lime-trees, slowly bestrewing the road with their 
golden, dancing leaves—there came along, from the 
little toll-house below, two carriages, each with a pair 
of horses, one behind the other. Hetty saw them 
coming from a long way off, for they were the only 
vehicles going either way on the road, deserted at 
this late season, when practically no one drove out 
for pleasure. Aunt Rika was fussing and fuming 
with impatience, and then, taking Hetty’s arm—a thing 
she never did as a rule—she went with her out of 
the front door to await her guests. As the horses, 
however, came along very leisurely at the end of 
their journey, it was quite a long time before the 
carriages arrived, and Hetty, arm-in-arm with her 
aunt, strolled in the bright sunshine along the low, 
green, little fence which separated the front garden 
from the road. 

“ Come now, Hetty,” her aunt said with a smile, 


300 


HETTY GEYBERT 


speaking slowly and thoughtfully ; “ aren’t you glad? 
I think Julius is coming too.” 

Hetty could truthfully answer that she was indeed 1 
glad the visitors were coming, for, after the monotony 
of the last few weeks, any distraction was pleasant, 
and her aunt took her assurance as inclusive of her 
nephew Julius, to whom, however, it did not in the 
least refer. 

“Yes,” Aunt Rika said, “he is really a man you 
cannot help liking. I fancy, go where he may, he 
will get anyone he wants. His old chief in Posen 
wrote lately to Solomon—they had some business 
between them—really you ought to have read it, Hetty. 
He evidently doesn’t know how to praise Julius enough.” 

Hetty accepted this news, as she did everything, 
with outward friendliness, but inwardly with entire 
indifference and lack of interest, for, lately, but an 
infinitesimal part of her thoughts had turned towards 
Julius and all good or evil report of him left her 
equally unmoved. In the last few months she had 
often seen him at Charlottenburg, so that her first 
aversion had changed to indifference . . . just as we 
get used to everything, and all the more quickly if 
we are too absorbed in our feelings to pay much real 
attention to life’s superficialities. 

And there he was himself—the object of Aunt Rika’s 
praises—the very first of all the visitors to appear, 
for the new cousin Julius, short and broad as he 
was, sat enthroned on the box-seat of the first carriage 
and waved his grey top-hat from afar. He was also 
the first to spring down from his front seat in one 
jump, landing with closed feet, whilst all the others took 
their time. Only Max was wanting, for he had stayed 
at home since, of course, somebody had to look after 
the business. Jason also explained that he had very 
nearly not come, as he hadn’t been feeling quite the 
thing for the last few days, although he thought he 
was a little better again that afternoon. But Hetty 
was shocked as she saw that Jason really looked very 
pale, with the hard lines in his thin face deeper than 


HETTY GEYBERT 301 

ever and the hand he gave her very hot and dry as 
it lay for a moment in hers. 

“ Uncle, are you sure you are not ill? ” she inquired 
anxiously. 

But Jason only gave a little laugh as he answered : 
“ Oh, it’s nothing much, and will soon pass again.” 

“ Really ! ” Julius remarked in his full, oily voice. 

“ In your place, I should be nervous, Herr Geybert. 
You haven’t much of a constitution, and look like a 
dying man.” 

Jason’s lips again curled into a smile, but it was 
somewhat forced. “ Thank you,” he remarked in a 
tone that, under its apparent friendliness, expressed, 
as Hetty knew only too well, the deepest displeasure 
and contempt which Jason Geybert was capable of 
feeling. 

“ But, Herr Geybert, you misunderstand me ; you 
ought to see a doctor. I am really only thinking of 
your welfare.” 

“ It will go of itself. I am not fond of going to 
doctors,” Jason answered, but his voice trailed off 
in utter weariness of body and mind. “ Let it pass ! 
What does it matter ! ” 

“ Really, Jason, if you are not well, you ought 
to have stayed at home,” said Rika, retreating a step. 
“ Of course I only mean because you could look 
after yourself better there.” 

“ Yes,” added Eli, “ I told him that. I even said 
I would stay with him and we could have a little game 
of piquet, but do you think the lad would listen 
to me ? ” 

“ Come now ! ” Jason spoke indignantly, for he 
disliked being fussed over. “ I certainly could not 
fail to be present in such an illustrious gathering as 

I say, Jason, I’ll tell you of a remedy afterwards.” 
And the little grey Aunt Minnie pressed up to him in 
kindly fashion. “ Try it first, and if it is of no use 
then go to the doctor. I have had more success in 
my life than many a doctor, I tell you.” 


302 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Jason could not but remember that Minnie and Eli 
had had to say good-bye to all their children, so he 
was not absolutely convinced of the infallibility of 
Minnie’s homely remedy. He did, in truth, feel 

wretched, not by any means so well as he assured 
them all with a weary smile. The whole way he had 
regretted having come, for he felt as though consumed 
by an inward fire and his head was full of flaming 
wheels. 

Jenny rushed up to Hetty with but the one 

exclamation : “ Just look at my frock ! ” whilst 

Wolfgang shook hands with a quiet, careless air, as 
much as to say, ‘ ‘ What need to let the others know how 
we two stand to each other? ” And the lad had passed 
the whole of the drive there, daydreaming about 
Hetty. Janey was out of all patience because one of 
the ribs of her sunshade was broken and she could 
not get it shut, so on a very flimsy pretext she boxeid 
Wolfgang’s ears with a quick, sharp slap of her be- 
ringed, sausage-fingers. The rings hurt him, but the 
little old lady with the poodle curls threw her arms 
round the poor boy and kissed him to make up for 
the blow—and this Wolfgang, very possibly, felt even 
more painful ; for he was now spoilt and critical where 
caresses were concerned. Janey’s ill-humour was 
plainly written on her face, whilst Ferdinand, with an 
impudent twinkle in the corners of his eyes, pointed 
to the trees and roused the echoes with a shout of 
“ Welcome to the yellow fields ! ” He enjoyed making 
his jokes harmonize with the season. Ferdinand and 
Janey’s moods, it mflst be said, were always like the 
scales at either end of a balance—if one was up, the 
other was down ; and as Ferdinand now happened 
to be up in the clouds, Janey had specially good 
reasons for being in the depths. 

Solomon led the way into the house with Julius ; 
the two sisters followed, quietly whispering to one 
another ; then came the children on either side of the 
little old lady, both of them proud that they now 
overtopped her. Hetty followed on with Minnie and 


HETTY GEYBERT 303 

Eli, who was once more subjecting Ferdinand’s horseflesh 

of course he knew nothing about carriages !—to a 
destructive criticism. Last of all, Jason came slowly 
limping along, left all to himself—-as a sick man 
always is, quickly deserted by his fellows after a 
few kindly words. 

Since they had come after dinner-—for Aunt Rika 
had said everything was not to be got so quickly in 
Charlottenburg and so they could only invite them 
in the afternoon—well, since they had come after 
dinner, the coffee-table laid in the dining-room, no 
longer green, but flooded with the golden-yellow 
reflection of the autumn-tinted chestnut-trees in the 
courtyard—the coffee-table then was the more richly 
provided with delicacies. And if it should be called 
a coffee-table it could only be after the manner of 
the Romans, who delighted in naming a part for the 
whole and only spoke of the point when they meant 
the whole spear with its ash-wood shaft and its 
leathern sling. For here there was coffee and tea, 
mineral waters and wine—red and white—fancy dishes 
and cakes, white china bowls with crinkled edges full 
of sweetmeats, each wrapped in coloured lace paper. 
And the somewhat more masculine taste was catered 
for with great pyramids of sandwiches of tongue, 
smoked meat and all kinds of fish. Farther up, 
beside the cigars and lighters, stood fat, red and 
yellow bottles with their train of tiny glasses holding 
no more than a thimbleful each. 

In accordance with her tactics of old, Aunt Rika 
had brought up all her forces at once to face the 
enemy. And had he been twice as strong, they would 
still have gained the day, for an unseen hand seemed 
to fill the breaches in the stacks of cakes and roll 9 
as soon as they were made by the men’s sturdy 
courage and the children’s promising perseverance, 
united with the women’s self-sacrifice. And apparently 
no too ready tongue had so far disclosed—a marvel 
in that company—the secret of the unending capacity 
of the tea and coffee pots. 


304 HETTY GEYBERT 

Eli remarked that, for his part, he did not under¬ 
stand how they could all eat again already ; he 
supposed it must be the air out there that gave themi 
such appetites. 

Jason, having revived a little under the influence of 
the tea, which he had strongly flavoured with rum, 
propounded a riddle, touching on politics, of course. 

“ What is the difference between Daguerre and 
Metternich ? ” 

No one knew, and the men tried to think, nodding 
and shaking their heads, whilst the ladies went on 
discussing the thousand nothings that come so easily 
to women’s tongues. 

“ The first makes sun-pictures and the second a 
camera obscura for Germany.” 

“ Splendid ! ” Ferdinand cried, with great emphasis 
on the “ splen.” 

“ I can’t laugh at it. I don’t understand in the 
least,” Janey commented in a sharp, quarrelsome tone, 
shaking her head till she almost shook down her 
wonderful erection of hair as well. 

“ Of course you don’t,” snapped Ferdinand ; “ when 
do you ever understand a joke?”' 

But Solomon, in his anxiety to quell these rising 
hostilities, broke in with : ‘‘I must really make a 

note of this about Lafayette and Metternich.” 

“ Excuse me,” interrupted Julius, “ Herr Jason 
Geybert spoke, didn’t he, of Daguerre?” 

“ Oh well, Daguerre then.” 

Julius smiled politely. “ But perhaps I may be 
allowed to give you a riddle that the ladies can enjoy 
as well.” 

“ Oh yes, Julius,” exclaimed Janey, who was anxious 
to play off her nephew against Jason. 

Julius grasped his brow and recited very slowly, 
straining his memory at every line : 

" What is it we are in many a thing ? 

What in death, yet never that! 

What those, whom to the grave we bring ? 


HETTY GEYBERT 


305 


Though they are never, never that! 

And—h'm—h’m—because we’re living, 

What is’t we are in heart and sight ? 

And just because we still have being 
What is’t we cannot be aright?” 

Hetty and Jason exchanged nods with a smile. 

“Well?” said Solomon. 

“Well, perhaps someone can guess it?” 

“ Come, Hetty,” Aunt Rika urged in kindly, genial 
tones, “ just show what you know.” 

But Hetty only pretended to meditate deeply, and 
then shook her head. 

“ Jason,” exclaimed Janey, “ give the answer ! ” 

“ Excuse me, but please say it again ; it has quite 
confused me,” said Eli ; “ besides, I couldn’t hear 

half of it.” 

At last it came out that the answer was “ parted.’ 5 
And because we live we surely are—parted ! And 
because we live until to-day we are not yet—parted ! 

“ Magnificent ! ” Janey repeated again and again. 
“ Magnificent ... a very different matter from your 
Lafayette, Jason ! ” 

“ Very pretty ! ” was Jason’s comment. “ Very 
pretty ! Is it your own? ” 

Julius gave no answer, but his round face and his 
Jacoby black jet eyes beamed with satisfaction. 

“ If you like, you need not hesitate to claim it as 
yours ; not a soul here, except Hetty and me, knows 
Schleiermacher, and we shall not give you away, Herr 
Jacoby.” 

Janey turned quite pale. Julius flushed up, but 
quickly regained his self-possession. “ Well, anyone 
could hear at once that it was said by someone who 
had learnt it,” he answered in some confusion. 

“ I must walk about a little now,” Ferdinand 
remarked, to break the painful silence. And he stood 
up. “Whatever are we sitting here for? That’s not 
why we come out to Charlottenburg.” 

“ He’s right there,” Eli agreed. Rika said some 
of the refreshments could be taken outside, and the 

20 


306 HETTY GEYBERT 


whole company broke up and strolled out in twos and 
threes to the garden ; but, as the children were not 
quite sure that Aunt Rika would keep her promise 
and have refreshments outside, they provided for all 
contingencies with secret supplies from the crinkly 
china bowls and the dishes of coffee-cakes, which 
Eli had so far besieged with but indifferent success. 
The men took cigars, except Jason, who said they 
did not taste right just now and instead remained 
faithful to the contents of the fat, red, yellow and 
green bottles in the hope that they would help him 
to pull himself together. 


The foliage was already less thick in the gardens 
and everywhere interpenetrated by the warm rays of 
the autumn sun. The unswept paths were soft as 
carpets to the tread, covered as they were with wrinkled 
brown elm-leaves, still glistening in the shade with 
the dew of the night before, and with the golden 
oak-leaves lying on the dark earth that showed all 
the beauty of their dentated edges ; and over all a 
sprinkling of little red leaves that had floated down 
from the wild vine. Only the golden yellow on the 
boughs shone doubly bright in the sunshine, whilst 
the purple and red with all the other deep fiery 
autumnal tints in chestnut and oak, cherry-tree and 
hawthorn, alder and guelder-tree, were softened by 
the distinct pale-blue shade of the atmosphere flicker¬ 
ing down so silently on this cloudless autumn day with 
its sickly, depressing beauty. On all the bushes 
spiders had spun their webs, sparkling all day W 
with the moisture that so clearly marked the delicacy 
of their construction. Hetty, in the last few days 
had often looked at them, admiring the wonderful 
variety of these little suns, always appearing with such 
beautiful regularity, no matter how confused and inter¬ 
mingled the branches on which the spider spun her web. 

But Aunt Janey really had no feeling for the delicate 
technique of a spider’s web, and exclaimed that, had 
she known about them, she would certainly not 
have come out. Then Julius showed his chivalry by 


HETTY GEYBERT SOT 

destroying with a small stick all the webs that 
the artistic little, many-footed weavers had woven 
between the slanting supports in the walls of the 
arbour. 

Ihe company soon divided into separate groups. 
Wolfgang and Jenny, in secret rivalry, attached them¬ 
selves to Hetty, and cousin Julius accounted himself 
amongst the young folk too ; so Hetty strolled with 
him and the children slowly along the narrow paths 
away into the orchard and up and down the flower- 
garden. The womenfolk had had a garden-seat put 
on the bright, green lawn in the full sun, and sat 
there, with their knitting, sewing and tireless tongues, 
all in a row, Minnie, Janey, the old lady with her 
tight curls and Rika in their grey, old rose and purple 
gowns like a gay mountain range intersected by valleys, 
these latter being represented by Minnie and the old 
lady. 

The men were in their old summer-house, swept 
clear that morning of all its withered leaves, but 
bestrewn again now with stalks, twigs and berries as 
well as with red and yellow leaves. Ferdinand had 
proposed a game of cards, but Solomon preferred 
to talk and Jason said he could not fix his mind on 
it. For, although the tea had done him good for a 
short time and made him a little more responsive to 
his surroundings, he felt wretched again now, as though 
consumed with inward fires. His thoughts, too, ran 
in one confused, unbroken stream, without pause or 
stop of any kind, going on and on, so interwoven with 
impossibilities and incoherence that he was terrified 
in the moments when he managed to pull himself 
together ; but, as soon as he tried to get to the root 
of the matter, everything began to float on again and 
carried him with it. So Jason got up, saying he 
would walk up and down a little, for he was tormented 
by inner restlessness and listened anxiously to hear if 
he said what he meant and did not bring out some 
quite senseless remark for which he was not really 
responsible. He said, however, quite clearly and 


308 


HETTY GEYBERT 


distinctly, that in this lovely weather he would rather 
walk about than sit. 

The others looked after him. “ I don’t like his 
looks,” Eli remarked, meditatively sucking his cigar. 

“ He should try slices of cucumber on his head ; 
they always cure my sick headaches—that’s all that’s 
wrong with him,” Ferdinand observed. 

‘‘Well now, I wanted to talk with you,” said 
Solomon ; “a pity that Jason has just gone away. 
I should like to know what you think about it. Here, 
will you look at these letters, Ferdinand?” Solomon 
hunted through his breast-pocket. “ Here, you see, 
his former head in Posen writes to me, and I have 
made inquiries of two others as well ; and here are the 
answers, outdoing one another in their praise.” 

‘‘What is it?” inquired Eli, who couldn’t hear 
very well to-day and wanted to have everything 
repeated twice. ‘‘What is it, Solomon? Who are 
you really talking about? ” 

“ About Julius.” 

‘‘Oh, is that it? Yes, that young man. Do you 
mean to give him money ?—because, do you know, 
Solomon, I wouldn’t do it.” 

‘‘Why not?” queried Solomon quite calmly. 

“ I don’t like him. He is a cunning fellow, as I 
have told you once before ; but one never knows— 
perhaps I am wrong for once, although I have never 
made a mistake before. What is the young man 
then?” 

“ He has a leather business, or he will-” 

“ Leather ! ” Eli interrupted. “ Is that it? Leather 
is quite a good branch. Yes, you need not be afraid 
to give him something ; he’ll be safe—that is, if he 
is a decent fellow ; otherwise ...” 

“ Yes,” Solomon answered, “ but, just at present, 
it is no question of money. Julius, you must know, has 
told me he cares for Hetty, and I wanted to ask you 
what you thought about it.” 

“ Dear Solomon,” Eli calmly answered, “ I’ll tell 
you something : no one puts a silk patch on a rag- 


HETTY GEYBERT 309 

man’s sack ; your own business should have taught you 
that.” 

Solomon did not answer. Ferdinand handed the 
letters back in silence, as though he had not heard 
Eli’s remark, then added : “ I should not hesitate.” 

“ Now, Eli,” Solomon asked, “ will you look at 
them ? ” 

“ I don’t need to read them—letters say anything— 
paper is long-suffering.” 

“ But, Eli,” Solomon urged, “ I beg of you to read 
them.” 

“ What am I to say to you, Solomon? Do what you 
like. You, all of you, want to force the girl into 
unhappiness. Well, do it then, but leave me out 
of the business ! If you ask me, I say : ‘ No, hands 
off ! ’ But, in my opinion, it is better you shouldn’t 
ask me.” 

“ Dear Eli,” said Solomon, who was always 
accustomed to carry on a discussion calmly, even if 
his opponent grew hot, “ there is no question of 
force. If Hetty does not wish it, then no ; I shall 
not force her, you know me too well for that.” 

“ Well,” Eli answered peevishly, “ then what I say 
is, leave it to Hetty. What business is it of mine? 
If you think he is a good young man, then you are 
right.” 

Solomon accepted this as half-consent, just as we 
all only find in others’ speech exactly what we want 
to hear. 

“ I should be greatly in favour of it, Solomon ; 
you couldn’t possibly get a better report. What good 
is it, if anyone comes with a sackful of money and 
afterwards you find he comes of a poor kind of 
family?” 

“ Yes,” said Solomon, “ that’s it, Ferdinand, the 
family is my chief consideration.” 

“ Come now,” put in Eli, but that’s something you’ll 
have to put your name to, if we’re to believe it.” 

“What’s that?” Solomon asked sharply. 

“ Well,” Eli remarked with great equanimity and 


310 HETTY GEYBERT 

without taking his cigar out of his mouth, “ I only 
thought that family was really not much to boast of.” 

It was one of Uncle Eli’s failings that, in spite of 
his long apprenticeship, he had still not yet learnt 
to speak other than he thought ; and, things being 
as they were, in all probability he never would learn 
either. 

Ferdinand and Solomon both told Eli that he in¬ 
sulted them with such statements, for he surely entirely 
forgot that Rika and Janey, although they had become 
thorough Geyberts, were still by birth Jacobys. And 
Eli, whose nature it was to give ruthless expression 
to any opinion he held, but who was not man enough 
to make a lengthy defence of it in face of opposition, 
assured them that, of course, he hadn’t meant that— 
and after all what concern was it of his? He didn’t 
want to marry the young man—that, of course, must 
be left for Hetty to decide. But God grant she would 
take care to say no. 

Meantime, however, Hetty was walking up and down 
with the new cousin Julius and the children on the 
broad path between flower-beds, sunny walls and 
hedges. 

They always went round the four sides of a square 
walking very slowly past the bright flower-borders of 
p lox and asters, dahlias and jalap, amaranth and 
balsams, that encircled them like a broad gay girdle 
And in the middle of the beds, overtopping the 
raspberry-canes—and they reached right up to the lower 
branches of the fruit-trees—there stood a few enormous 
sunflowers, some all by themselves, with nodding heads 
like round copper plates, and others in crowded masses 
ol blossoms, looking like bursting fireworks. The 
hedges, too, of snowball-bushes, alders and wild rose 
along the neighbour’s boundary, were all richly adorned 
as with coloured beads, white, black and red 

The air was quite still, yet there was a ’ never- 
ceasing rustle amongst the dry leaves, and more rarely 
even the thud of some worm-eaten, early apple falling 
to the ground. Long white cobwebs stretched this 


HETTY GEYBERT 311 

way and that, and only one belated butterfly was 
turning and twisting in her bright dress on a blue 
aster. 

From the meadows beyond the crowns of the solitary 
poplars looked over the hedges, crowns now them¬ 
selves yellow once more and so sparsely covered with 
leaves, that they were penetrated and lit up by the 
soft brightness of the warm, pale-blue autumn sky. 

The children, hanging on to Hetty’s arms right and 
left, never budged from her side, but pressed up 
against her, for they were jealous of one another, and 
neither wished to have the lesser share of Hetty’s 
favour. And even if they did not talk to her, the 
conversation being carried on solely and entirely by 
the new cousin Julius, yet neither was willing to lose 
touch of Hetty, so that to-day they did not join in a 
common expedition against the last pears or the first 
apples, but both walked politely beside her, without 
giving way an inch. Besides, they had their pockets 
full, and nibbled and chewed in quiet meditation as 
they slowly set one foot in front of the other and 
looked wide-eyed out upon the soft, bright autumn 
day. 

And just as it pleased Hetty—in so far as anything 
at all either pleased or displeased her now—that the 
children should stay with her, for she had no wish 
to be left alone with the new cousin, so it displeased 
cousin Julius, who now found no opportunity to utter 
a carefully prepared speech, in which he meant to 
say how hard it was to bid her good-bye, since he 
had to go to the frontier to buy stock, and in which 
he drew such a glowing picture of his own merits, 
that Hetty would indeed have been foolish not to 
accept with open hands, when he should finish up by 
showing in modest yet dignified words that, in spite 
of all his gifts, or perhaps because of them, he had, 
from his youth up, never cherished any other desire 
than to choose his cousin Hetty Geybert for the proud 
position of his wife, and that he trusted, he might 
hope, he had made no unfavourable impression upon 


312 


HETTY GEYBERT 


her ; and, even though so far she had not reciprocated 
his tender feelings, yet he was firmly convinced 
that . . . The new cousin Julius could not manage 
to deliver this speech, for he had no desire to have 
Wolfgang and Jenny as witnesses of his eloquence, 
and they would not budge. 

Since, then, he could not bring up his heavy guns, 
he began with a little light skirmishing, telling her 
how fond he really was of nature and how poetical 
the garden was here, with its many roses and other 
flowers as well, if only he had more time ; but often 
on his trips—for he had travelled too—he was not 
like the others, who only went from one business house 
to another, and spent their leisure in the beershop, 
but always kept his eyes open and saw the sights 
of the town—and yet sold twice as much as anyone 
else. In the same way he was keen on culture . . 
he would like to do more in this line, and Hetty must 
believe that he was a steady man with serious tastes. 
When he was at ~chool the headmaster, Diamant, 
had even come to his parents and urged them to 
send their Julius—with his ability—to the Classical 
School, but he had said it did not attract him ; the 
languages were too dead. 

that Hetty could well believe, she had no reason 
to do otherwise, especially as she really only heard 
the half of what Julius was saying. She was also 
glad not to be alone with this cousin, for she would 
not have been a woman if she had not felt what 
was in store for her, although she might not have a 
sure and certain clue to all his self-glorification. 

But so differently do two people judge the same 
thing, that what Hetty thought opportune and pleasant 
seemed most inopportune and unpleasant to the new 
cousin Julius. And so different is the real nature of 
things from their appearance, so well can they hide 
their true aspect, and so little idea have we of our 
own good, that, really and truly, the cousin should have 
been glad and Hetty sorry that the children would 
not leave her side. For Hetty would certainly have 


HETTY GEYBERT 313 

\ 

given his answer to cousin Julius then, but as things 
were . . . well . . . 

But then Eli came along the path in his yellow 
top-boots and his coat with bright buttons, reflecting 
the sun, not walking slowly, as if for pleasure, or 
smiling a little as he sauntered past the flower-beds, 
but with evident signs of haste and anxiety. His 
head shook till the powder rose in clouds, which were 
transformed by the autumn sunlight into a halo round 
his head, as he looked anxiously in every direction. 

“ Hetty,” he cried, “ Hetty, have you seen Jason? ” 

Hetty and her companions turned round. 

“Jason? No.” 

“ A long while ago he went out of the summer¬ 
house, but he hasn’t come back.” 

“ Oh,” Hetty answered, “ what could happen to 
him here? ” But she called aloud : “ Uncle Jason ! ” 
in her beautiful, deep, contralto voice, the children 
echoed her call in their high falsetto, and the new 
cousin Julius, desirous of making a good impression, 
shouted too, with all the force of his oily baritone : 
“Uncle Jason.” 

But as the echoes died away they were followed 
by a silence even deeper than before. 

Then Hetty, too, felt nervous and ran on, accompanied 
by the children and Julius, with Eli following up 
as fast as he could. 

Half-way the maid met them as she was taking 
something to the summer-house. 

“Johanna, haven’t you seen Herr Jason?” 

“ Oh yes,” answered Johanna, whose weak point 
was her memory, “ Herr Jason has gone. He told 
me to say he did not wish to disturb the company 
but he was not very well.” 

“ I don’t like that,” said Eli. “ But anyone can 
feel upset sometimes,” Julius remarked. “ A fortnight 
ago I felt ...” 

“ Are you in any way acquainted with my nephew 
Jason, young man ! ” Eli replied in no kindly tones. 
Well then, why do you speak? I know him, and if 


3X4 


HETTY GEYBERT 


he had felt, as it pleased you to feel a fortnight ago 
he would have stopped here. I know him. I went 
to see him that time—here in prison—and he came 
out as he went in. You just ought to have seen the 
others, Hetty.” 

Then up came the others, the aunts from their 
garden-seat, Solomon and Ferdinand from the summer¬ 
house. 

“ What is this, then, about Jason ? ” Rika asked. 

Hes gone home, don’t you hear? ” Eli answered. 
„ Solomon and Ferdinand interchanged glances. 

rerdinand, do you think I should drive in? ” 
Solomon asked anxiously. For even if Jason and 
Solomon had lately grown a little apart, and were 
not quite so intimate as before, Solomon did not 
love his younger brother any the less, and had still 
the same feeling towards him as twenty years ago 
when he used to try to keep him on the right path.’ 
He still felt the same fatherly anxiety about him 

u°?| h the passin S y ears had more or less effaced 
the^ difference in age between them. 

“No, no,” Solomon, I will drive over directly 
But we must start a little earlier. In any case it 
turns cold so early now.” 

“ Perhaps you could take Dr. Stosch straight away 
with you to see Jason.” 

“ Yes, I thought I’d do that.” 

“ That’s men all over,” interrupted Janey, “ if there’s 
the least thing wrong with them. ... If Jason had 
been as I was last Wednesday, rest assured he wouldn’t 
have come. And I wonder if anyone fetched the 
doctor straight away for me.” 

Rika also added that no one troubled if she felt 
ill. That she could easily say, as nothing was ever 
wrong with her. 

But Jason’s departure had struck a discordant note 
of secret anxiety and nervousness which affected every¬ 
one, and even gave to the children’s eyes, usually only 
expressive of a fine freedom from care, a look of 
astonished inquiry. 


HETTY GEYBERT 3X5 

Old Aunt Minnie shrugged her crooked shoulders 
with the remark that it was too cool for her in the 
garden, and that she was going in. Ferdinand half 
agreed, saying the air was pleasant but the ground 
a little damp now, whilst Janey stated her conviction 
that a shawl was necessary if you were to stay any 
time in the garden. Then half the company went 
upstairs. Hetty and Julius need not hesitate to stay 
outside, for the blood ran faster in their veins than 
in old folks. The children, too, might play a little 
longer in the garden. With that they parted. 

But the children had no wish to play as they hung 
right and left on Hetty’s arms. Jenny looked at the 
left side, for there she would be nearer the adored 
heart than where she was. So, as before, they formed 
a pleasant barrier between Hetty and the new cousin 
Julius, who at once began the conversation again 
by assuring Hetty of his sympathy with her Uncle 
Jason, but yet he hoped he would not be seriously 
ill, for he hadn’t looked like that at all, so Hetty need 
feel no anxiety about him. 

But, as Hetty gave no answer. Cousin Julius him¬ 
self soon began to hesitate, for even the most fluent 
eloquence needs a responsive audience. And the four 
walked somewhat silently, side by side, down the long 
garden paths, until they once more resumed their 
former course round the flower-beds. They could 
almost look straight at the sun, now clear and very 
low in the sky, for its light was pale and cool, 
though bright and wonderfully fugitive, resting no¬ 
where and yet making every outline sharp and clear, 
as though it was cut out by scissors, of every coloured 
leaf, every flower and every hill against the cold, pale- 
blue sky. Then a sudden breeze sprang up that made 
trees and men alike shiver with cold. 

Cousin Julius was determined to begin again, and 
now—no matter whether the children were there or 
not—collect his forces for the final blow. For why 
else had he really driven out to Charlottenburg—in 
the middle of the week, too ? Had he not told Solomon 


316 


HETTY GEYBERT 


and Aunt Rika that he would speak to Hetty that 
afternoon ? He was really making himself ridiculous. 
Once more he decided to begin, and had just struck 
an attitude, cleared his throat and begun, “ Dear 

Hetty—you know-” when, as Fate would have it, the 

maid stepped out from among the trees and Hetty, 
being frightened that it was something to do with 
Uncle Jason, stopped Cousin Julius and went to meet 
the girl. 

“ What is it, what is it then, Johanna? ” she called 
out even from a distance. 

“ Oh,” Johanna answered, “ will you please come 
up.” 

“Why then?” Hetty had such a foreboding of 
evil that she felt her heart in her mouth. 

“ Well, to supper,” said Johanna, drawling her words 
as slowly as a fly crawling out of buttermilk ; “ the 

ladies and gentlemen want to get off again very early.”* 

Sure enough, when they got upstairs, the table was 
already laid, and although it was still fairly light, 
the candles had been lighted in the tall, white 
candelabra on the cupboard. They gave but a curious 
red flicker in the yellow light that flooded in from 
the chestnuts outside and from the sunset sky, suffusing 
everything—people, faces, forms—in a soft golden 
shimmer. 

“ Well, here come our stragglers,” Ferdinand ex¬ 
claimed significantly. “ Was it nice down in the 
garden ? ” 

“ Oh yes,” Julius said in a somewhat depressed, 
slow tone. 

“Tell me, Julius,” Rika asked with ill-concealed 
eagerness, “ tell me, did I ever show you our rooms 
here ? ” 

Julius understood. 

“No, you were always going to, but so far . . .” 

“ Well,” Rika explained, “ this is Hetty's room ”— 
pointing across the hall—” and you see . . 

To judge by the time that Aunt Rika and the new 
cousin stayed out of the room, the flat should have 


HETTY GEYBERT 


317 


had at least twenty-eight rooms, instead of three and 
a little one adjoining. Or they should have contained 
quite special treasures and valuables which, however, 
they evidently did not. Then, too, it might have 
been thought that the flat was already heated from 
end to end—overheated, indeed ; for when they came 
back—Aunt Rika and the new cousin Julius—they both’ 
had faces as red as turkey-cocks. But, say what you 
will, no one puts on the heat in September, and on 
such a day as this, least of all in Charlottenburg. 

Supper proved somewhat quiet and dull, for the 
uncertainty as to how Jason was overshadowed his 
brothers and also made Eli and Hetty—who both, in 
any case, talked very little now and were always 
absent-minded—made them also quite silent. Even 
Cousin Julius, under the influence of his partial defeat, 
did not open his mouth quite so wide as usual ; that 
is, figuratively speaking, but not literally, certainly not 
literally. The walk round the flower-borders and 
Charlottenburg air had evidently made him hungry, 
and he was like that other wooer of whom the tale 
goes that he took no trouble but only fish. Yes, that 
he did. The three wives Rika, Minnie, Janey, and the 
children Jenny and Wolfgang, were the talkers this 
evening. The children, especially, treated the worthy, 
little old lady with her tight curls to such a rare 
exhibition of childlike mischief that a very little more 
and Ferdinand would have restored order in his usual 
way. But, as it was, he only saw to it that the party 
broke up early. 

After all, what was there to keep them here? A 
strange mood had suddenly fallen upon all the Geyberts, 
a depression as after some defeat. None of the men 
spoke, perhaps because Jason was absent, since he had 
always marshalled the troops and, even as a listener, 
had lifted the conversation out of insignificance by 
providing a background, a foil or some gay interpre¬ 
tation. It was remarkable how, in a moment, the 
insipid chatter rose in its many-headed unrestraint, 
thq Jacobys’ provincial gossip about nothing at all, 


318 


HETTY GEYBERT 


alternating between triviality and malice and leaving 
nothing unscathed by its venomous tongue. 

Ferdinand suggested going home, and Hetty hastened 
to her room to see if the carriages had come. Yes, 
there they were. The first to go was Eli, who this 
time found his way, in spite of the approaching dark¬ 
ness, quite quickly and surely down the steps. Solomon, 
too, wanted to go straight back with them ; but Rika 
begged and implored him to stay where he was— 
what did he want to go back into Berlin for, when 
Julius could bring word at once to-morrow how Jason 
was ? And Julius assured him he would be back almost 
before the break of day. 

Hetty looked after the departing guests for some 
time before she went up the steps again, slowly and 
irresolutely. It was not yet night, but candles were 
being lit in the houses, and she could see ruddy 
lights in the distance and along the road. The sky 
flamed yellow, and long rows of autumnal trees stood 
out black as charcoal against the sunset. But down 
the road their autumn-tinted foliage was still covered 
with a veil of golden light, and low amongst their 
leaves hung the great moon rising in blood-red 
splendour. 

When Hetty came in she was surprised not to find 
her uncle and aunt in the dining-room at the back, 
and she had quite an uncanny feeling as she saw 
it all deserted with the chairs pushed back, the crumpled 
dinner-napkins and the half-empty plates and glasses 
in the bright light of a few smoking candles. For 
it was really much too early for bed, and Hetty 
thought, at first, that the two had gone down into the 
garden again, when the sound of low-voiced whispers 
in their bedroom so startled her that she swayed 
and had to steady herself against the back of a chair. 
Lately, indeed, she had often been startled, but never 
quite so violently as now. 

After some time, although her heart was still beat¬ 
ing wildly, she called the maid to clear the table, 
and was glad to change the current of her thoughts 


HETTY GEYBERT 319 

for a few moments at least by giving a helping hand 
herself. 

But when Hetty was in her own room again—she 
id not want to light her candle—watching the moon 
creep up amongst the trees and quickly rise above 
their tops for her lonely journey across the vaulted 
heavens, there was nothing more to distract her 
thoughts. The moon crept very slowly round the 
corner between the little white, floating clouds that 
for brief moments shaded her face with the thinnest 
of filmy veils. At first, no more than a corner of 
the window and the curtain was lit up by her pale 
beams, but then she moved on through the sky, looked 
Hetty full in the face, flooded the whole garden, 
which had lain so long in silent shade, with her elusive 
light, cast a long shadow on the floor behind Hetty 
and filled all the room with a pale radiance in which 
you could see everything and yet nothing, where every 
object seemed veiled, white, mysterious. 

And Hetty s thoughts rose like village dogs at night. 
The place lies still and quiet and everything - seems 
wrapped in sleep. Suddenly a dog begins a muffled 
growl, half-dreaming maybe, or because some little 
cat is hurrying over the roof or some wanderer tramp- 
ing along the dark village street. A second dog 
answers the first, and another and another till all the 
dogs are awake, barking and striving to outdo each 
other in the noise of their mutual greetings. And they 
howl wildly and restlessly far into the dawn, until 
the cat is long since asleep in the barn and the 
wanderer is who knows where in the wide world, having 
quite forgotten that he had passed through some village 
where a dog began to bark. 

Hetty’s thoughts were just like this, and she had 
no idea how long she had been sitting at the window, 
for her thoughts ran on and on, answering one another 
like village dogs at night, long after the wanderer 
who disturbed them has passed on his way, Heaven 
knows where. Hetty did not know whether the two 
in the other room were still talking or what they said ; 


320 


HETTY GEYBERT 


not a sound did she hear. But then she felt someone 
in her room, felt something like a cold breath at the 
back of her neck, and turned round sharply. 

“Hetty, are you still up?” came in slow, firm 
tones from her aunt ; she was in her night attire 
already, and floated in the moonlight before Hetty, 
a broad, white figure. “May I sit down here? I 
wanted to talk to you a little ; ” and she sat down on 
the edge of the settee. “ Well, how did this afternoon 
go? Did you have a nice chat together?” 

“ I am worried about Uncle Jason, Aunt.” 

“ Well, we must hope, Hetty,” came the reply ; 
“ worrying does no good. All the same, we must be 
prepared for anything. I tell you my poor brother 
Nero was quite well one day and five days later dead,— 
erysipelas it was, and he a giant compared with your 
uncle. But in my opinion there is nothing wrong with 
Jason.” 

Hetty sat quite still without answering. 

“ Mark my words, you will hear to-morrow he is 
well again. But now, Hetty, something else. How 
do you like Julius I want to know?” 

Hetty gave no answer. 

“ Well, of course, I know a young woman cannot 
exactly say a thing like that. But isn’t he really a nice 
fellow? ” 

Hetty still kept silence. 

“ I fancy no one can say a word to the contrary— 
but he is not only a nice, cultured man, but has sterling 
worth as well. If you would like, you can read the 
report that Solomon got of him from his former 
principal in Posen, I never read anything like it.” 

“Does Uncle mean to take him into the business? 1 ”' 
Hetty inquired. 

“Perhaps.” Her aunt told the falsehood with the 
assurance of long practice. “ Why not, later on? ” 

They were both silent again for some time, for 
Aunt Rika did not really quite know how to begin. 

“ I wonder, Hetty,” she said, “ how long now, have 
you been with us? Twenty-one years, I believe, on 


HETTY GEYBERT 


321 


the 14th of next month. A long time ! And it is 
true you have always been a great pleasure to us ; 
we could give you just as good a testimonial as Julius 
had from his Head in Posen.” 

Hetty slowly nodded, very slowly, as her aunt 
noticed. 

“Wouldn’t you like to get away from us, Hetty? 
I mean, to have a house of your own. Listen, Hetty, 
I have something to tell you which I hope will please 
you. Your cousin Julius had a special purpose in 
coming here to-day. No doubt you will have noticed 
it, too. For he—oh well, I don’t need to explain it 
all to you—he asked Solomon for your hand.” 

Hetty had a momentary feeling as though some 
unseen hand caught her and squeezed her heart. 

“I do not need to tell you, dear Hetty, that your 
Uncle Solomon would like it. You know best what 
you owe him ; for, after all, he is no longer very 
young, you see, and he would like to be at last free 
from all anxiety on your behalf. You know, I don’t 
mean to say you ought to be grateful to us because 
you have really been made more of than if you had 
been a child of our own—that is not at all what I 
mean to say, Hetty ; but what more do you want ? 
Fie is a nice, well-set-up young man ; or do you 
wish to dispute that ? ” 

Hetty had no wish to dispute anything—no, nothing 
at all. 

“As to his worth, Solomon will be a better judge 
than I am, you know. And don’t you see, Julius 
could have someone quite different ; he only needed 
to say one word and his Posen principal—he was 
immensely rich—would have at once given him his 
only child. That was really why he left Posen, because 
he was always thinking of you, even then.” 

It is quite true that all this did not require great 
inventive powers ; nevertheless the calm ease and 
apparent candour—in which alone the true art of lying 
consists—shown by Aunt Rika as she told a fairy¬ 
tale of which she herself had never dreamt but a 

21 



322 HETTY GEYBERT 

moment before, were matters for surprise, even to those 
who had known her for years. But Hetty was in no 
mood now to judge between false and true. She 
only knew the water was up to her chin and felt too 
weak and irresolute to fight against it ; eight weeks 
ago perhaps she might have done it, but now she 

was a swimmer no longer. 

Her aunt, however, was too good a judge of character 
not to have foreseen this, and had purposely waited 
just because she knew that Hetty would not make 

any stand against her plans, if only she acted wisely 
and made no attempt to force her ; for that was 

never any use with these Geyberts. 

" Well,” said her aunt, getting up, “ I see I have 
surprised you, my child. I don’t want to influence 
you in any way, dear Hetty ; in this matter you cannot 
fail to know exactly what you ought to do ; you 

have always shown yourself so reasonable. I will 
only say this one thing : You would relieve your 
uncle and you do owe him a debt of gratitude, don’t 
you?—you would relieve him of a great anxiety— 
would, so to speak, fulfil the dearest wish of his 
heart but, as I said, I won’t influence you, and you 
are entirely free to do what you wish.” 

With these parting words the broad, white some¬ 
thing in the sickly light sailed with flapping slippers 
out of the room, drew the door to quietly behind 
her, and left Hetty alone with her thoughts. 

Aunt Rika was in truth no orator, not particularly 
intellectual or striking ; her merits did not lie in 
that direction—but there was something about her de¬ 
liberation, something in the persistent, drowsy speech 
that always came back to her own point of view 
that made her opponent bend to her will and almost 
drove him to despair. 

A n< ? Hetty, who had faced round to the room during 
this visit, turned slowly back to the window and looked 
at the moon, now high in the heavens, small and 
bright with its cunning laugh. She was no more 
unhappy than before, no tears fell, but she felt tired 


HETTY GEYBERT 


323 


and broken. She had accepted all this much more 
quietly than she had expected and, indeed, there was 
something in her innermost heart that was not in 
opposition, some longing for martyrdom, some childish, 
defiant determination to take the first-comer, though 
he might be the worst. There had, indeed, been 
nothing to call forth her resistance or goad her to 
defiance ; and, whether her mind was for or against 
the proposal, she felt alike despairing. 

Hetty tried to think it over quietly and come to 
some clear conclusion, but she could not collect or 
steady her thoughts ; besides, just now, it was not 
her own fate that stood first in her mind, but all other 
considerations were continually overpowered by her 
anxiety about Uncle Jason. 

Once more Hetty felt that someone opened the 
door, but she stayed quiet and weary as she was, 
without turning round. The something came gently 
up to her, quite gently, and then, as she felt some-; 
one’s hand laid on her shoulder, she knew, without 
turning, that it was her uncle. 

“ Hetty,” he said, “ your aunt has just been talk¬ 
ing to you.” 

“ Yes,” Hetty answered, still not turning, but keeping 
her head far thrown back and her eyes fixed on the 
moon. 

“ Do you know, Hetty, I don’t want to interfere— 
to-day I have my mind full of other things, my 
child—but I only want to tell you that you need have 
no anxiety about the future. You will have just as 
much comfort and more than you have had here. 
I will see to that. You have been like our own child, 
Hetty, and I mean to treat you as such in the future 
as well. But don’t misunderstand me, Hetty, I do 
not want to influence you, you are old enough to know 
what you are doing. I only want to tell you that I 
have no objection, and that I have really only had 
the very best account of Julius. Then you must 
not forget, Hetty, that, in a certain sense, you are 
indebted to your aunt, and she thinks that you two 



324 


HETTY GEYBERT 


would suit each other very well, you would give her 
great pleasure, for lately she has been very worried 
about you, as, no doubt, you have noticed. It is, 
so to speak, the dearest wish of her heart, one she 
has long harboured, and she would be much relieved to 
see its fulfilment.” 

Hetty still kept her eyes fixed on the moon, and 
all she felt during her uncle’s speech was that his 
words had a great similarity with her aunt’s ; some 
turns, indeed, were exactly the same, only used in 
reference to another. 

“Just think it over, dear Hetty,” her uncle at last 
concluded. “ We have not the slightest desire to 
urge you, but we feel you must know Julius well 
enough by now to form your own opinion about him 
And now, my child, sleep well, and to-morrow we 
will talk it over again. We hope Jason’s illness is 
nothing very serious.” 

So saying, Uncle Solomon stepped up behind Hetty 
and stroked her cheek with a kind and gentle hand • 
but as Hetty turned her head he had slipped out of 
the room without a sound from his felt slippers. 

Her uncle’s little endearment which, if Hetty had 
but understood it aright, really contained a touch of 
pity, broke down her last line of defence, for now it 
came over Hetty how very good they had been to her 
after all, how calmly she had accepted everything and 
how ungrateful that was of her ; then followed the 
whole chain of self-accusations and reproaches that 
we always drag out when we are just going to consent 
to something which we cannot ourselves either justify 
or approve. 1 y 

The moon sailed on, casting her slanting rays over 
the garden and over the quiet dusty road with its 
border of lime-trees, where now and again came the 
sound of some distant hoof. Away in the houses the 
last candle had long since been put out, and the nale 
moonlight was reflected from the darkened windows 
The same pale light made the few oil lamps well' 
nigh forget their office, and the road lay deserted and 


HETTY GEYBERT 825 

silvery throughout its length—now bright as day, except 
for the black shadows, and then again bathed in a 
pale, even twilight, as a veil of clouds on the dark 
sky passed across the face of the moon. 

Hetty was just going to get up, with the sense 
of weariness that the sight of an empty street at night 
always produces, when that broad white, overwhelming 
something with flapping shoes again came in, the 
something whose voice seemed to give such an un¬ 
mistakable impression of Aunt Rika. 

“ Well,” came the anxious inquiry, “ are you still 
not in bed yet, my child ? ” 

No, Hetty was not. 

“ Come now, your uncle has told you, I know, how 
much he wishes it, and I know, of old, that you are 
too sensible to throw away your chances of happiness. 
And if you think you don’t know Julius yet, I would 
just like to tell you something—now look at me : 
do I live happily with Solomon or not? If we 
ever do differ, he tells me his opinion and I tell 
him mine, and then it is all over and done with. 
And how often do you think I saw him before we 
married? Now, how often, Hetty? Five times—not 
once more ! Ferdinand and Janey now had a courtship 
of four years. And what has come of it? Best not 
say a word about that, I think.” 

And the white, spreading something made a specially 
significant pause amongst the many on the chance 
of getting some kind of answer. But since none came, 
it again resumed : 

“ And, Hetty, if you really have taken a fancy to 
the other, I just want to tell you that he has quite 
given up thinking of you ; for months now he has not 
been in Berlin. Lord knows where he is now, and 
who he is running after. I don’t want to say any 
ill of him, but men are all like that. I’ve had some 
experience in that line, I can tell you, Hetty. You 
know I’ve kept a quiet tongue about the business, 
for I saw you cared for the man, and I didn’t want 
to upset you—why shouldn’t you?—you are but young 


326 HETTY GEYBERT 

and have a right to enjoy yourself ; but where’s the 
girl that after all marries the man she loves ? I 
needn’t hesitate to tell you now, Hetty, that, when I 
was young, I had a love affair, too, with the son of 
the organist Reitzenstein at home ; we liked one another, 
more than liked, and yet afterwards I’ve been very 
happy with my Solomon, haven’t I, Hetty?” 

Even though all that the white, floating something 
said about Kossling fell on barren ground, for Hetty 
would listen to no slander of him from strangers, 
keeping as she did his image hidden where it was 
safe from untrue words and evil gossip, yet that same 
broad, white, floating something showed considerable 
tact in posing as a fellow-sufferer of Hetty’s, and 
the. worthy aunt gave evidence of a deep sense of 
justice, in presenting the old precentor Reitzenstein 
with a posthumous son whom he—richly blessed with 
daughters had all his life ardently and vainly longed 
to welcome. 

“ Well, good-bye, Hetty ; now I’m off to bed,” came 
from the settee through the twilight of the room after a 
long silence, only broken by the ticking of a clock in 
the next room. And I hope I shall have a favourable 
answer to give Julius to-morrow, poor lad. For nights 
he hasn t had any sleep ; his face told that plain enough 
to-day.” 

Hetty had got up ; how limp she felt, tired to death 
and pitiably worn-out with all the talking, the think¬ 
ing, her self-reproaches and the anxiety about Jason. 
She really did not want to give any answer at all ; 
they must give her until to-morrow, only till to-morrow 
when everything might be different, when who could 
tell what might have happened. But then again, as 
Hetty said to herself, after all there would be no point 
in delay ; she would be persecuted just the same to¬ 
morrow, driven into the same corner as to-day, so 
that it had better be now than then. But she could 
neither reason nor argue any more, she had finished 
with pros and cons, and only felt that she must put 
an end to the present state of affairs. 


HETTY GEYBERT 327 

“ If you two think it best/’ she said in an utterly 
broken tone. 

“ Solomon ! ” her aunt cried in a loud, shrill voice 
as she pattered across the room and threw her arms 
round Hetty, who stood there stiff, straight and almost 
motionless. “ Solomon ! ” 

“What is it?” questioned Solomon from the next 
room. 

But then Uncle Solomon had joined them, he too 
in white, floating draperies, but not so broad as Aunt 
Rika. 

“ Well now ”—his voice showed his emotion— 
“ Hetty, do you know, you really have given me 
pleasure.” He kissed her and Aunt Rika kissed him 
as she laughed and talked and repeated time and 
again that, of course, she had known it all along, but 
Hetty wouldn’t own to it. 

And Uncle Solomon kissed Hetty again and told 
her he would look after her. And he added that his 
wife must be quiet, or she would wake everyone in 
the house ; from his heart he wished Hetty all happi¬ 
ness, and was doubly glad because she was now 
fulfilling the wish her aunt had harboured for years. 
But they could talk it all over the next day, and now 
they must go to bed ; Hetty, too, was very tired. So 
Aunt Rika kissed Hetty, and her uncle kissed Hetty, 
and Aunt Rika kissed Uncle Solomon, and Uncle 
Solomon kissed Aunt Rika, whilst Hetty stood between 
them, almost dropping with fatigue. 

Her aunt was beginning again a tale of something 
Julius always used to say, as a child, when Uncle 
Solomon begged her to come and really stop talking, 
so that poor Hetty might get some rest. 

And long after, as Hetty lay weeping, sobbing and 
pushing her feet against the end of her bed in the 
half-dark room, she could still hear her uncle calling 
to Aunt Rika to come, and asking whatever she was 
about in the parlour. 

But Aunt Rika replied she had almost finished 
the list, and did Solomon think she ought to send 


328 


HETTY GEYBERT 


a notification to the Bentheims ? But all Solomon 
answered was, that could be decided the next day, 
and would she come along, in Heaven’s name, and 
get to bed? 

* * * * * 

And everything came, as come it must, everything 
as it must. Just as the garden outside flared up 
once more and the oak-trees glowed in wondrous 
golden tints, as the wild vine, like finely cut blood¬ 
stones, covered walls and arbour alike, as brilliant 
carmine, ruddy brown and pale, pale yellow enwreathed 
the trunks and branches of elms, chestnuts and poplars 
before the colours all fell in great masses to the 
ground, hiding paths and grass under their gay mantle, 
before the rain came at last to put a final end to 
summer, splashing and beating again and again on the 
last few brown and yellow leaves and—deaf to their 
prayers and entreaties—dashed them down from the 
boughs and tossed them into some forgotten corner 
of road or garden—just so did Fate deal with Hetty. 
First the flare of glowing colour, gold carmine, crimson 
as blood-stones, then the breaking-off ; later the pour¬ 
ing rain, splashing and tearing the last leaves till they, 
too, were broken off from the boughs and tossed 
away into some unheeded corner. 

Everything came, as come it must, . . . everything 
as it must. Scarcely had the day dawned, when the 
new cousin Julius was there once more, Julius, who— 
like some cherry-tree that, all unsuspecting, is decked 
one night with blossom—had in that one night 
blossomed into a happy lover. Hetty, pale and stiff 
as a statue, met him with but the one question on 
her lips as to what news he brought of Jason ; but 
his aunt kissed Julius and told him how very glad 
she was, since they were so well suited to each other. 
Even Julius seemed somewhat confused, though happy, 
as he told Hetty he did not expect her to feel at once 
quite as he did—a remark that inwardly amused Hetty, 
for no one of taste can ever be quite so unhappy as 


HETTY GEYBERT 


329 


to lose all sense of the humour of a situation. But, 
he went on, he flattered himself with the hope of 
being able to gain her affection, and although they 
could not see much of each other at present, since 
he must make haste to go and buy if he didn’t mean 
to lose all the season, still they would soon have an 
opportunity of getting on terms o’f intimacy. 

Then, however, Uncle Solomon came in and congratu¬ 
lated Julius, somewhat formally and with a coolness 
and want of pleasure in marked contrast with the 
night before, and asked how his brother was. When 
he heard the by no means favourable answer, that 
Jason was now delirious and that the doctor had said 
he must wait till to-day, but he was almost sure it 
was typhus, Solomon went, without a word, into his 
room, and reappearing at once all ready booted and 
spurred, inquired if Julius meant to come with him, 
as he was driving in now. Julius, who had possibly 
pictured his first visit as accepted lover not quite 
like this, hesitated for a moment ; but Aunt Rika 
winked significantly, and Julius exclaimed, of course 
he meant to come—he was at his service all day if he 
could be of the slightest use. 

So before they knew where they were, and before 
they had got over the first shock of Jason’s illness, 
the two women were once more alone. 

Hetty was anxious to go at once to Jason, but her 
aunt begged and entreated. What could she be thinking 
of ? A young woman who was going to be married must 
never go near anyone ill—such a thing was out of the 
question • and if she did, be sure she would one day 
rue it bitterly. 

Before long Aunt Janey came in from Berlin laugh¬ 
ing, chattering and jabbering ; then she fell on Hetty’s 
neck, and between her tears wished her all good 
fortune, and might her married life be happier than 
hers had been ; but that Hetty would be well off 
with Julius was beyond doubt, such a splendid fellow 
as he was ! 

The news of Hetty’s engagement soon spread through 


330 


HETTY GEYBERT 


the house, and Frau Konnecke came up to congratu¬ 
late. It was, she said, after all, high time for Hetty. 
And when Hetty went out into the kitchen, there was 
the maid standing, with swollen, tearful eyes, to shake 
her hand—men have no fellow-feeling, but the same 
common lot makes all women sisters. As Hetty looked 
at her, she began to cry again, and before either of 
them knew what she was doing, the two—Hetty and 
Johanna—were standing, cheek by cheek, sobbing 
together. So strange it is, we always think no one 
knows what we are hiding in our hearts and the 
burden that we alone have to bear, yet, all the time, 
we have been open books where others may read 
all they have a wish to know. 

And everything came, as come it must. The post 
brought whole stacks of letters to Charlottenburg, and 
acquaintances came every midday to bring their con¬ 
gratulations. Aunt Rika sat in her black silk on the 
sofa with her ready laugh and amiable fabrications, 
her dignity and breadth increasing in direct proportion 
with the importance of her visitors. 

And cabs brought Hetty’s maternal relatives that 
she had not seen for years and years ; tall, very quiet 
people, kind and friendly. The very next day came 
Uncle Eli, who kissed Hetty and remarked to Aunt 
Rika : “ Well, Rika, you know, I always put off my 
congratulations in things of this sort until ten years 
after the event.” Then there were letters from Julius’s 
sisters in Benshen, and from Uncle Naphthali, the oldest 
representative of all the Jacobys. But they gave no 
betrothal party, for Uncle Solomon was against one 
whilst Jason was so ill ; and before they could really 
collect their ideas the happy lover was off to buy 
his stock in Posen and Upper Silesia. They would 
have, otherwise, had to copy that silver wedding which 
the old wife celebrated by herself as her husband had 
died full six years before. And even if this was per¬ 
missible once in a way for a silver wedding, it would 
certainly have been conspicuously out of place for a 
betrothal ceremonial. 


HETTY GEYBERT 


331 


It must not be imagined, however, that Hetty passed 
her days weeping and sitting about with a long face— 
her life went on as calmly as ever. For Hetty’s 
natural disposition was to look on the bright side, 
and if she could not have happiness, she put up 
instead with the glitter of luxury and comfort which 
is accepted by most people as the real substance. 

But, whilst things went on fairly quietly in 
Charlottenburg, this engagement was a never-ending 
subject of discussion in Berlin, where no one under¬ 
stood how this clever, beautiful girl could throw herself 
away like that ; the man was nothing at all, nor had 
he any prospects ; and how could Solomon Geybert 
sanction it? There were some even who plainly said 
so to his face ; others, again, whispered that there 
was some tale behind it all, and that she was only 
taking this one out of pique, because she could not 
get the one she wanted. Such things did happen. 
And evil tongues made up all sorts of untrue reports 
and said, no doubt, Solomon Geybert had been obliged 
to find Hetty a husband, and everyone knew money 
would hide anything. Of course he couldn’t get any¬ 
one else here in Berlin, so he had hastily fetched over 
a nephew from Posen for her. Just wait, and events 
would prove that they were right. 

Everything came, as come it must. Uncle Jason 
really had typhus, and was hopelessly ill from the 
very first—the delirium scarcely left him from that 
day, and Hetty lived in hourly anxiety. Whenever 
she saw Uncle Solomon, her first words were always : 
“What does Stosch say?” She drove in by herself, 
too, for Solomon spent almost every spare moment 
day and night with his brother, and came out very 
seldom to Charlottenburg ; but to Jason himself she 
was not allowed to go. Even Uncle Solomon said a 
young woman, engaged to be married, must not do 
such a thing, and he was not superstitious at all as a 
rule. But if her uncle had told Hetty the truth, that 
was not the reason at all, but rather that Hetty and 
Kossling were the chief people in Jason’s delirious 


332 


HETTY GEYBERT 


raving ; sometimes, indeed, for hours together he thought 
his male attendant was Kossling, and addressed his old 
housekeeper as Hetty. 

When things had reached such a pitch with Jason 
that the old housekeeper, Hortel by name, in the 
wonderful flowered gown, said that she would like 
some of the furniture if she might have it, and had 
received Ferdinand’s assurance that she should be 
remembered ; when old Stosch took Ferdinand aside 
one afternoon to tell him of his intention to stay 
there the rest of the day, as he did not think Jason 
would live through the night, and thereafter did not 
leave his patient’s bedside ; when Solomon, Ferdinand 
and Eli sat shivering and silent opposite one another 
in Jason’s library listening till midnight as the sound 
of the chimes every quarter of an hour floated in 
through the half-open window—then Jason, who, all 
his life long, had never once done what was expected 
of him, once again disappointed their expectations. 
First of all his temperature fell, and he startled them 
all as they sat there by the sound of his calm, clear 
voice. “ Isn’t it often like that, just before the end? ” 
Ferdinand asked the doctor. 

But the taciturn old man, as well known for his 
rough tongue as for his skill, only shrugged his 
shoulders : “ Your brother will live longer than you 

with your gall-stones, dear Herr Geybert. I have told 
the attendant to give another bath if necessary, but 
it won’t be ; his pulse is so far very strong and good. 
You can come away with me now, gentlemen.” 

And the three men did what men seldom do- 
wept and embraced one another ; Ferdinand was for 
rushing in at once to see Jason, but Stosch railed at 
him, whilst Eli declared he had never believed all 
along that Jason was so ill, and had never been anxious 
about him, quite ignoring the fact that this remark 
was a direct contradiction of his statements only two 
minutes before. 

But even the joy of knowing Jason was out of 
danger did not make Hetty much more gay or less 



HETTY GEYBERT 333 

apathetic, and Solomon now began to reproach him¬ 
self and once more to discuss the matter with 
Ferdinand. 

Do you know, Ferdinand,” Solomon at first 
tentatively broached the subject, “ it strikes me that 
Hetty really looks very ill.” 

“Well, have you ever known a bride-to-be that 
looked well?” answered Ferdinand, who always chose 
to show a rough-and-ready optimism with regard to 
his neighbour’s mental state. 

“Well,” said Solomon, “ that may be so, but it 
strikes me that Hetty doesn’t care for him in the 
least, for my wife always has to remind her to write 
to him.” 

“ So much the better,” Ferdinand replied, with that 
unconquerable optimism of his. “ I tell you, Solomon, 
those make afterwards the most affectionate wives. 
And that always makes the happiest marriages. I’m 
an old hand in all this ! ” 

But Solomon was not quite convinced. “ And then,” 
so he went on, “I have since heard a few things 
about Julius—you see, there is always more said after 
than before—really very unpleasant things that don’t, 
in the least, please me, both as regards his business 
and—well, in another respect as well.” 

And Solomon told his tale. 

But Ferdinand could see no harm in it ; quite the 
contrary. And, as regarded the other matter, surely 
Solomon was forgetting that, at the same age, they 
hadn’t been much better, and wasn’t it wiser to sow 
your wild oats before than after? In Ferdinand’s 

opinion to know all was to forgive all, a statement 

that came well from him, as there was nothing he did 
not know. 

Solomon, however, was still not quite convinced, 
nor were his doubts in the least relieved, for he had, 
in addition, a hidden cause for dissatisfaction, which 
he did not mention to his brother. For, now that he 

had read the letters sent to Hetty and his wife by 

Julius’s relations, his sisters, cousins, uncles and aunts, 


334 


HETTY GEYBERT 


he was forced to agree with old Eli’s verdict that the 
family wasn’t much to boast of. His Geybert pride 
was sorely wounded, and Solomon could not understand 
how he had ever been persuaded to consent to this 
union. Besides, he loved Hetty far too dearly not 
to grudge her to such as Julius. Day and night 
Uncle Eli’s plain-spoken saying about a silken patch 
on a rag-sack rang in his ears. He would not take 
the first step in the matter—for he had not been head 
of a great business house for thirty years without 
forgetting how to own to having made a mistake—but 
he waited and waited from day to day, in the hope that 
Hetty would come sometime and say : “ Uncle, I 

will not do it.” Solomon would have been more than 
delighted to write the letter of dismissal for her with 
his own hand. 

But Hetty never breathed such a word, nor did she 
give the slightest indication to lead Solomon to con¬ 
clude that this union was distasteful to her. No, 
Hetty was just as tractable and amiable as ever, never 
complaining by a look even, much less by word. 
For, by now, she had grown so accustomed to the 
martyrdom which she considered but a debt of gratitude, 
that she almost loved it, and would have been sorry 
to lose it. 

Now, whilst the new cousin Julius was travelling- 
in Posen and Upper Silesia from place to place, living 
in impossible little holes with even more impossible 
names, to make advantageous purchases of quantities 
of raw and tanned Russian hides which had doubtless 
seen the frontier, but never a custom-house ; whilst 
he wrote to Hetty regularly every two days : “I 
take up my pen with pleasure to let you know that 
I received your welcome letter. I learn from it that 
you are well, and can assure you that the same is 
true of me. My little dove, as soon as you are mine, 
I will entwine wreaths of roses round your life ”— 
whilst this went on, Hetty lived a calm, untroubled 
life at Charlottenburg. For Hetty was naturally dis¬ 
posed to look on the bright side of everything, and 


HETTY GEYBERT 835 

if she could not have happiness itself, she would 
content herself with that glimmer of comfort that we 
all agree to accept instead. And since it was her 
one aim not to think of the future—her nights were 
bad enough without anything more—she clung to the 
short happiness of the present, out there in Charlotten- 
burg with its quiet, its garden, still beautiful even in 
autumn, its long walks in the great park that she loved 
once more for its memories. 

And her aunt, who once could not have gone soon 
enough into Berlin again, now said it was, after all, 
too beautiful here, she couldn’t bear to leave it, and 
would like to stay as long as a single leaf was left 
on the trees, for it was, just now, at its best. Nor 
was it really the fear of typhus that made her talk 
like that—for there was no word of any fresh cases— 
but rather fear of “the other one.” For “the other 
one ” had reappeared in Berlin. Her sister Janey 
had seen him herself, and report said that he had 
been at Jason’s again, whilst Ferdinand said that he 
was working at the library—it was on this account 
that Hetty must be kept out at Charlottenburg as 
long as it was in any way possible. 

So that although, at first, the wedding-day had not 
been once mentioned, now it was suddenly settled 
that Hetty should marry in the end of November, 
when Julius came back from his travels. Aunt Rika 
had already fixed her eye on a flat for the young 
couple, four nice rooms in New Friedrich Street, 
up by the river, quite close to “ The Friendly 
Gathering.” 

And that Cousin Julius was somewhat long over 
his purchases of those raw and tanned hides, that had 
doubtless seen the frontier but never a custom-house 
in impossible holes in Posen and Upper Silesia—that 
he was a little slow was certainly Aunt Rika’s fault. 
For she was far too clever not to put the right interpre¬ 
tation on Uncle Solomon’s depression which, besides, 
could have no other cause, since Jason was long since 
out of danger. And she quite rightly said to herself 


336 


HETTY GEYBERT 


that the longer Julius stayed away the less chance of 
friction between him and her husband, and she had 
no doubt of her own power to keep his memory green 
with Hetty. That Solomon should raise any objec¬ 
tions whatever, once the furniture was begun and the 
trousseau cut out, seemed out of the question in worthy 
Aunt Rika’s opinion, for, in the course of their happy 
married life, she had become too well acquainted with 
her lord and master’s practical mind to believe in the 
possibility of such a thing. 

So, in order not to give her Solomon too much 
time to change his mind, Aunt Rika began her orders 
and purchases, and set tailors and carpenters to work 
as if she had to provide for not one bride only, but 
for quite a dozen. 

Aunt Rika showed Hetty the flat in New Friedrich 
Street, not far from “ The Friendly Gathering,” 
and then sent Julius the tenant’s agreement to 
sign, with the remark that she had hunted about 
everywhere now, but had not seen a better flat, or 
one with so many advantages in all Berlin. Hetty 
let her aunt do as she liked ; all she wanted was not 
to be troubled with it. 

Aunt Rika went about the furniture to the cabinet¬ 
maker Lowenberg because, after all, they knew him, 
and because he certainly would never come to 
Solomon’s whist party again, if they forgot him in this 
matter. For the parlour and dining-room, and even 
the spare room, Aunt Rika chose everything in polished 
mahogany, and to suit the parlour that was to be 
stained a very dark reddish-brown, she went herself 
to the warehouse to choose the dark-blue, heavy satin 
for the covers. And every two or three days Aunt 
Rika drove in to see, with her own little, black jet 
eyes, how the work was getting on, and if it would 
be ready in good time. Uncle Solomon thought it 
touching of his wife to sacrifice herself like this for 
Hetty. She was wearing herself to a thread-paper, 
he said, and losing all her fat. 

And as Aunt Rika really was anxious to hurry on 


HETTY GEYBERT 337 

the wedding, she did not get dressmakers to work 
in the house, but taking the latest numbers of Koss- 
mann’s Journal des Modes , that always showed the 
newest Paris fashions, she went to the ladies’ tailor, 
Dunsing, and to Mahn as well, had Hetty measured,, 
and then lavished orders to delight any tailor’s heart : 
morning wrappers—white, lavender, pink for spring, 
summer, autumn, winter, gowns for everyday wear 
and for any special occasions that might occur, and 
for which provision must be made by a young married 
woman. It was always essential to have a good supply 
of morning gowns, and Aunt Rika ordered walking 
costumes in green English cloth with three long rows 
of buttons down bodice and skirt, and visiting dresses 
of black and coloured silk, silver-grey too, and some of 
very delicate pastel shades, with which Hetty was 
to wear a red Turkey shawl. And there were endless 
disputes—for Hetty now had three mothers : Rika, 
Janey and Minnie—lasting for hours and culminating 
in personalities—as to whether the belt should have 
long ends or not, and whether the lilac silk dress 
should be trimmed with stiff pleating or light flounces. 
And Minnie was annoyed that Dunsing had cut a 
skirt of striped grey and white material on the cross, 
and that the red cape was to have a fur rather than 
a velvet collar. She had never seen a wrap of that 
sort with fur on it before. And the dark cloth dress 
ought not to have leg-of-mutton sleeves, for a dress 
like that would last for ten years, and who knew if 
those sleeves would still be worn ten years later? She 
had never gone In herself for such foolish fashions. 
But then Janey remarked that to wear leg-of-mutton 
sleeves you must have a figure like hers or Hetty’s, 
and Minnie replied she had never yet seen a pug 
dog with leg-of-mutton sleeves ; in short, they had 
a fierce quarrel, and would probably never have made 
it up if this subject had not been so teeming with 
interest. But since the two, when it came to the 
question of whether the wedding-dress should be white 
corded silk or white silk damask, both maintained 

22 




338 


HETTY GEYBERT 


white damask in opposition to Aunt Rika’s opinion, 
this common bond healed the breach. 

And the only unsympathetic onlooker in these 
matters was just the one whom they most nearly 
concerned. In days gone by it had given Hetty 
pleasure to be able to have pretty dresses, and she had 
upheld her own taste in long wordy battles with her 
aunt ; now it was a matter of no importance to her ; 
nay, more, it was such a trial that it was almost im¬ 
possible to get her to go and be fitted, just as difficult 
as to get her to express any wishes about the furniture. 

But Aunt Rika was very different. From the cabinet¬ 
maker Lowenstein she went to Dunsing, and from 
Dunsing to Mahn, although neither must know that 
the other was working for her. And when she had 
talked herself hoarse over a hundred alterations and 
overwhelmed the forewoman with abuse that would 
not have been overlooked in any but such a good 
customer, then on she went, without a pause, to 
Wolfenstein. 

She had to buy there, too, since such things as 
friendship and ties of blood must be considered, and 
Aunt Rika ordered and purchased, as if she had to 
equip an hotel and not a simple household. Hetty was 
given so many damask tablecloths for thirty-six 
persons that she could have had table d’hote every 
day and then would only have needed to wash but 
once in two months. “ Well, there’s no harm in one 
too many, and Hetty’s children’s children are to enjoy 
them too.” And at the milliner’s Hetty had to try on 
the whole shopful of hats and hoods until her brain 
was in a whirl. 

But if that was only the public side of Aunt Rika’s 
work for Hetty, there was a private side of scarcely less 
importance. Jenny was to make a counter-box in 
beadwork and a crockery basket, but, besides these, 
Janey meant to work a bell-pull. Uncle Solomon must 
give for his own present a grand piano as a special 
surprise, and the little lady with tight curls was busy 
making three cushions of different sizes. Uncle 


HETTY GEYBERT 


339 


Naphthali from Benshen was to give a double-armed 
lamp, and Eli a plate-stand of silver and ruby glass. 
But he said that was too small and insignificant a 
present for Hetty, and on his own responsibility he 
added a dessert |bowl of crystal on a silver stand, whilst 
Ferdinand protested that the carpets that Aunt Janey 
had found for him to give were too dear—he couldn’t 
afford that ; he had three children. And finally, Jason 
must give a pair of heavy silver candlesticks which 
Rika would get for him. For Jason was still not able 
to get out, and only left his bed for a few hours 
to sit in front of his china or turn over his prints, 
for he was not allowed to read yet. And then, too— 
before it was forgotten—Flossie and Rosalie must join 
in a set of water-jugs and tumblers, unless they pre¬ 
ferred to embroider two cushions in blue roses for the 
window seats in the best room, but that would certainly 
cost just as much and be such an immense amount of 
work that they would scarcely be able to get it done 
in time. 

Hetty would only too gladly have gone to see 
Uncle Jason. But as soon as she suggested it her 
aunt raised a terrible to-do, and even her uncle, if 
he chanced to be there—for it was the height of the 
season in the business and he had not much time 
or thought for other things—even her uncle said no 
bride-to-be must do such a thing. And although 
Hetty suggested that Jason was no longer ill at all, she 
was talked down. 

And then the battle began : who should be invited ? 
The three wives, Janey, Minnie and Rika, all drew 
up lists, and each fought for her candidates like a 
lioness for her cubs. The first proposal was for a 
wedding-feast of the greatest parade and all the world 
and his wife as guests, but then they thought that 
this was not in the best taste, nor was it quite suitable, 
as Hetty was an orphan. So then sixty names were 
left, and these, after another council of war, were sifted 
down to five-and-twenty—who knows—if it had not 
been high time to send out the invitations—if they 


840 


HETTY GEYBERT 


might not later have been reduced to three and no 
bridegroom included? Aunt Rika hoped, however, 
that ten at least would refuse. She reckoned without 
any doubts on certain refusals, and really thought it 
a pity to scatter broadcast these beautiful invitations 
where, in copper plate on satin paper Solomon Geybert 
and his wife in grand style did themselves the honour 
to . . . 

Even Solomon himself, who so far had given a 
silent assent to all arrangements, was drawn into the 
hostilities of these days—and the only one who made 
no objections and expressed no desires was once more 
Hetty. All that worried her was that this quiet time 
out here in Charlottenburg was drawing to an end. 

For two weeks now Julius had been writing tender 
letters from Mogilno, until at last Aunt Rika thought 
that the cabinet work was sufficiently advanced to 
allow him to come in all confidence to Berlin. She 
also said she wanted to move back there herself for 
she had had enough of this Charlottenburg. 

Once more Hetty went into the park to bid farewell 
to all her memories. It was a dreary, wet day, when 
the whole sky was in movement and came to meet 
her with scudding clouds, that, here, hung low like 
heavy bales and, there, were swept away like light 
gauze handkerchiefs. The clouds, as they moved on 
were so low that they almost touched the bare tree- 
tops, and for moments at a time all was grey and 
misty wrapt in a dreamy quiet. But then the wind 
came, bending before it the groaning poplars as though 
they were but ferns, and the rain began pouring down 
m broad sheets, washing boughs and trunks from tip 
to root, rubbing down every little twig and swilling 
it with its cold floods until it shuddered in fear. Onlv 
some lilac-hedges and a few plane-trees kept their 
green leaves through all this misery, and even they 
seemed to look forward with deepest longing to the 
first frosty day to bring sleep to them as well Every¬ 
where you could look through the bushes and ‘see 
far into the distance, as on the first days of spring. 


HETTY GEYBERT 341 

The roads looked as if they had been scrubbed, and 
the pond’s black water was entirely covered by a 
floating crust of withered leaves blown on to it from 
paths and lawn. 

Hetty scarcely met a soul, only away below the 
yellow figure a sentry on guard, with his gun in his 
arm, marched up and down in front of the yellow 
building, and somewhere else old women were 
gathering basketfuls of fallen wood. The beauty 
spots !—these she scarcely recognized. What had been 
shut in and cosy was now all empty and exposed. 
Here they had sat by the little bell that at other times 
had always suddenly appeared like some unexpected 
vision, but now Hetty had seen it from afar. At other 
times Hetty had always thought of the little golden 
house behind the dark yews—which they had not rented 
after all—as quite a hidden corner of the world, seldom 
to be discovered and found, and that only in hours 
of happiness, but now it seemed, with its black up¬ 
standing trees, like a fortress dominating the landscape 
far and wide. 

And with bent head and wind-tossed skirts Hetty 
stepped up to this fortress, and as she walked her 
memories, which at other times were already so 
curiously changed and veiled, overwhelmed her with 
such force and distinctness that her tears rolled down 
her cheeks, mingling with the raindrops that the wind 
dashed on to her face. 

Hetty had come to say farewell, for she had indeed, 
at this time, preached reason to herself thousands of 
times, told herself how kind her uncle’s and aunt’s 
intentions were—had tried, too, to like the idea of a 
home of her own ; there had even been days when 
she felt something like respect for Julius, who was 
driving about in wild places on a desolate cold high 
road, whilst she sat, idle and indifferent, in her com¬ 
fortable nest. No doubt he would show many good 
and attractive qualities when only she got to know him 
better—no one wins the praise of his fellow-men for 
nothing. And Hetty had, in fact, only come here once 


342 


HETTY GEYBERT 


more to bid her dream farewell. But, instead of that, 
the truth she disclaimed threw in her teeth that all else 
was a dream and less than nothing, whilst her real 
life lay here, so that Hetty suddenly had the strange 
sensation that hers was no farewell to-day, but a 
first greeting from afar. Everything came back : 
they were walking again, one behind the other, along 
the narrow meadow path under the overhanging 
branches, standing by the little temple that lay with 
its wreath and its figures, all golden-red in the evening 
sunshine, and away by the water between the poplars’ 
bare stems she felt, through the raindrops and the 
tears on her wet face, those kisses of old for which 
she had since longed a hundred times. 

Then Hetty heard the clear, shrill notes of a clock 
striking through the bare park, and started, for. she 
had stayed an hour after dinner-time. But when she got 
home her aunt had driven into town again. 

On the following day they went home. 

For two weeks more Hetty still slept in the old, 
bright room of her girlhood’s days, and looked out at 
the back from her balcony into the branches of the 
walnut-tree, now bare, except for the very few quivering 
green leaves and equally few heavy, green, half-black 
walnuts still hanging on the boughs. This year she 
had not once seen it properly in its full glory ; after 
the open country at Charlottenburg the cramped space 
in the town seemed doubly oppressive, and the noise 
of the city, which she had never noticed before, was 
now a positive pain to her. 

Good heavens, what a whirl and confusion at the 
Geyberts ! Dunsing and Mahn brought their goods 
ar^d Wolfenstein as well ; in the front room with the 
three windows there dangled from each arm of the 
chandelier a different morning wrapper and a different 
dress lay on each easy chair, whilst every table was 
loaded with stacks of white linen. Even the clocks 
in their glass shades on the tall stands were quite 
embedded in piles of linen, and the tall table candle¬ 
sticks were converted into stands for hats and for 


HETTY GEYBERT 


348 


boudoir caps of black and white lace and embroidery. 
The floor, too, was covered with whole rows of boots 
and shoes, from dainty bronze footgear with bows and 
buckles down to plain leather slippers for morning 
wear. 

“ Hetty really couldn’t say it was a Cinderella out¬ 
fit,” Aunt Rika said, a remark she repeated to everyone 
who came and was brought in to admire, from the 
porter and washerwoman up to their grand friends the 
Liebmanns and Mendelssohns. 

Hetty scarcely ever had a glimpse of her uncle, 
for, as the season was at its height, they often were 
busy in the office until late at night, and the only time 
she had a few minutes’ talk with him was when she 
took down the plates of rolls for him and the staff. 
At dinner he was always tired and silent. 

The acceptances and refusals began to arrive, and 
just those who they hoped would certainly decline 
accepted, and those whose acceptance was especially 
desired declined the invitation. And those who had 
not been invited were offended : “ Surely they ought 

to have included us ” ; whilst those who were invited 
said : ‘‘We cannot understand how they ever thought 
of asking us ; we are not the least on such intimate 
terms with the Geyberts.” Even Jason sent a note to 
say he could not say for certain he would come, as he 
still felt very weak. But Solomon maintained that 
Jason would certainly not miss Hetty’s wedding, when 
he had always been her guide, a second father indeed. 

Then Julius came, with a face like copper, sun¬ 
burnt and full of his business successes. He went with 
Hetty to the court in the Jews’ Street to notify the 
marriage and to take the necessary papers, and went 
by himself to the court in the same street to have his 
business registered. His business—for at the last 
moment he had quarrelled with his future partner. 
Now Julius really no longer saw why someone else 
should help himself out of his dish. And there were 
disputes at once about the wedding-breakfast, for 
Julius said it must be orthodox on account of Uncle 


344 HETTY GEYBERT 

Naphthali, whom he had no wish to offend. Surely 
he had a right to a voice in the matter, seeing that, 
after all, it was his wedding. But Aunt Rika pointed 
out to him that speech is silvern and silence golden, 
especially here, and that she knew her husband better 
and therefore could only advise Julius to say “yes” to 
everything, and afterwards she would arrange for all 
who wanted orthodox food to get it. And if it still 
wasn’t orthodox enough for them she would have 
it cooked by the chief rabbi himself. Only for good¬ 
ness sake Julius must say he approved of every tiling. 

Next, there came from Benshen—a few days too 
soon, because they wanted to see Berlin—Flossie and 
Rosalie, countrified girls, plain and old-fashioned, full 
of noisy good-humour, not entirely free from a sug¬ 
gestion of cunning calculation as well ; they stuck to 
Hetty like burs, and tried on all her dresses, new and 
old—although they were much too large for them—just 
to get the patterns. And Julius showed them Berlin, 
even going in the day with them to the Opera House,' 
where he tipped the custodian to let them see the 
great candelabra, for there was nothing like it, even 
in Posen. 

Then, only three days before the wedding, came 
Uncle Naphthali, about whom Julius, Rosalie and 
Flossie had woven a tissue of fables. He was a 
little old man in a brown cloth coat and a rough 
top-hat, bent and bowed with small bright, suspicious, 
black eyes in a face that was nothing but wrinkles 
and always on the move. He might be the same age 
as Uncle Eli perhaps, but sometimes he would say at 
random he wasn’t seventy-five yet, and at others that 
he was past eighty. This Uncle Naphthali said with 
no wish to deceive, nor because—like many old 
people—his ideas were confused where numbers were 
concerned, but simply because he had no more accurate 
knowledge of the matter. And he might be just 
as near the truth with seventy-five as with eighty. 
How old he really was only his mother, Bessie, could 
decide, and for some considerable time now she had 


HETTY GEYBERT 345 

been beyond the reach of cross-examination. But so 
much was certain : Bessie had married about 1760, so 
it might well be presumed that the older brother, Joel, 
was born in 1761, and that the second first saw the 
light in 1762. And Naphthali was this second son. 
But others in the place said that there had been a 
sister in between, and then, too, the worthy Bessie’s 
regularity liad left something to be desired, whilst 
Naphthali, out and out, repudiated his poor deceased 
little sister and staked his reputation on his mother’s 
regularity. He knew exactly when his birthday was, 
for his lame Aunt Nannie had always given him a 
boiled egg for breakfast on the fifth day before the 
New Year : only in what year this birthday first 
came . . . there was the rub ! 

In the evening Naphthali was with them, of course, 
as was but fitting ; small and black he sat in the 
chimney-corner buzzing away like a winter fly. Hetty 
was there as well as Julius and his plain, old-fashioned 
sisters, who had done their hair like Hetty’s since 
the day before. Uncle Solomon was still at business, 
but he meant to come up, and the meal was being 
kept back for him. 

Naphthali had looked at everything without a word, 
at Hetty and the trousseau, the house here and the 
business premises below, had asked Julius what it 
was like as a rule, and now he had been sitting for 
some time, quite contented, in the chimney corner, 
buzzing away like a winter fly. 

“ Well, Joel,” he said at last. “ Well ! Now you 
have won the first prize in the Prussian lottery after 
all—just as you always wanted to when you were a 
boy.” 

For Naphthali always spoke of Julius as Joel, and 
here, alas, I must confess that his name was not in 
the least Julius Jacoby but, in very truth, plain Joel 
Jacoby. Not a creature had ever called him anything 
else in Benshen, but even in Posen Joel had struck 
him as too out of date, and he changed it to Julius. 
Naphthali, however, was not up to date, and so he 


346 


HETTY GEYBERT 


calmly called him Joel, after as before ; not even with 
a different accent from the one he used to give the 
name in Benshen. And really, if we give the question 
our careful consideration, Joel was certainly more 
appropriate than Julius, for he had very little similarity 
with the Pope, painted by Raphael, certainly less than 
with the minor prophet Joel, the son of Pethuel. 

Afterwards Solomon came up and they began supper, 
Julius told about his purchases, the first consignments 
of which were already to hand and for which he had 
sent drafts at three months’ sight. 

Solomon sat without a word, but his face showed 
his disapproval. He never paid with drafts at three 
months’ sight, and he did not care for purchasers who 
managed like that, for they had to pay so much by 
way of compensation that there was no chance of 
profits. But 'Solomon forgot that smuggled leather 
was certainly cheap. 

“ Well,” inquired Naphthali, “ how are you going 
to manage the wedding, Rika? ” 

44 Here in ‘ The Friendly Gathering,’ silly,” Naph¬ 
thali remarked ; “ that’s on the invitations. I mean— 
what will there be to eat? ” 

Solomon fidgeted uneasily on his chair. 

Rika gave an embarrassed laugh. “ Now, why do 
you want to know that already, Uncle? ” 

Well, I thought we should get the pleasure twice.” 

44 Listen then : first bouillon in cups.” 

Naphthali buzzed : 44 Ah, yes . . . broth,” he re¬ 

marked. 

44 Then second, directly after, trout.” 

44 What’s that—trout? ” 

44 They’re very delicate fish. Uncle, about this 
size.” 

44 Why do you give such a little fish? Perhaps 
you can tell me that. If you’ll take my advice, you’ll 
give them a decent-sized salmon, so that the people 
will have something to fill their stomachs with.” 

Solomon had jumped to his feet. 44 Heaven protect 
us from small towns ! ” he growled. But Rika cast 



HETTY GEYBERT 347 

a glance at him that told him plainly enough to let the 
old man enjoy himself for once. 

Naphthali only looked up in surprise : “ What’s 

wrong with him? ” 

“ I must go down to the business again, Herr 
Jacoby,” Solomon explained. “ Excuse me.” 

As he reached the door Solomon turned round again. 

One thing more, before I forget, Hetty. I was at 
Jason’s this afternoon to speak to him again, and he 
told me he still does not feel well enough to come ; 
you go yourself and ask him, even if it’s only for 
an hour. You would miss him on your wedding- 
day—wouldn’t you? ” 

Hetty felt a curious sense of fear—a nervous terror, 
as if she would be doing something wrong in going. 
And she trembled whilst her eyes filled with tears. 

“ Yes,” Julius interposed, “ then we will certainly 
go to Uncle Jason, first thing in the morning.” 

“ I think it will be better for Hetty to go by herself,” 
Rika exclaimed quickly in her anxiety to avoid a scene 
at all costs, for she saw Solomon was furious. 

“ In my opinion it will most assuredly be better,” 
Solomon remarked as he went out of the door. 

“ I don’t think that’s right,” came from Julius after 
a long pause. “ Of course a man may have business 
worries—who hasn’t?—but he has no right to show 
it at home—* my house is my castle,’ as the English 
say.” 

Almost all night Hetty lay in wakeful excitement, 
and if she did get a few minutes’ sleep she always 
dreamt of enormous, many-footed red spiders, who 
let themselves down very slowly by their crawling 
legs from the bed canopy and made a wild jump 
on to her chest, so that she started up in horror to 
stare into the dark room. Then at last Hetty saw in 
the slow breaking of a grey dismal day that at first 
everything was misty and indistinct, and only the gold¬ 
fish bowl and a couple of little white figures in the 
cabinet caught a few rays of light, but then one thing 
after another appeared—table, chair, wardrobe, the 


348 HETTY GEYBERT 

white pots figured with gold by the window, and the 
little openwork gilt basket on the small corner cup¬ 
board—all awoke with a rustle to life again and 
stretched themselves in the first grey light of the dull 
day, whilst the low clouds scurried, in unbroken lines, 
across the little piece of sky that Hetty could see high 
up outside the window. 

Hetty passed the interval until dinner-time in strange 
excitement. She did not really hear a word of what 
was said to her. The linen was being taken under her 
aunt’s watchful eye to her new home, and every half- 
hour Aunt Rika returned to superintend a fresh 
transport ; Jenny came with red silk linen ties on 
which she had worked numbers and monograms ; the 
furniture, too, or part of it at any rate, was to be 
delivered to-day. Julius had to go to the officials 
again about his business and wanted to put it off until 
he could walk so far with Hetty. In the afternoon 
he meant to look up customers, and was firmly con¬ 
vinced that he could undercut all competitors, as the 
result of his cheap purchases. And then he had quality— 
what quality ! He took a couple of pieces out of his 
breast-pocket for Hetty to feel the leather, which j 

almost made her faint with its strong smell of tan 

and hide. 

Hetty would have liked to tell her uncle, who had 
again gone very early to business—it almost looked 
as though he wanted to get away from the sight of 
all that was going on—she would have liked to tell | 

him that she did not want to go to Jason ; that it j 

gave her pain to see him again, or she would have 
made up another excuse that she had too much to do : ) 
settling in or some such tale. But then she felt] 
ashamed of her nervous fear and said to herself she 1 
ought really to be glad to get the chance of going 
to Jason at last ; that she had wanted to see him all 
the time ; she wondered how he would look after 
his illness, and whether he was expecting her every 
day. She meant to tell him that nothing must change 
between them ; that he must still be her guide and 






HETTY GEYBERT 


349 


friend, after as before, or else she would never be 
able to bear all this. She hoped she would be able 
to explain to Uncle Jason, calmly and without resent¬ 
ment, how everything had come to pass, and why 
she had thought she must do this. But the more 
she tried to reason with herself the more plainly she 
felt that undefined, inexplicable dark fear that really 
had nothing to do with the whole matter, and was quite 
independent of it. 

When, at last, Hetty was on the steps she had to 
force herself not to turn back again ; if Julius had 
not been with her she would certainly have gone to 
her uncle in his office and told him that she would 
rather write to Jason, but as it was, she passed the 
little glass door with its bright colour panes, although 
iron claws seemed to be dragging her in. Julius had 
to go again to the court in the Jews’ Street about his 
business ; there was delay about the question and 
more difficulties had arisen. But Julius was not dis¬ 
couraged ; he showed Hetty a bright round gold coin 
which he meant to put into the registrar’s hand. That 
| would work wonders, Hetty would see. He only ought 
to have done it three weeks ago and then everything 
would certainly have been settled by now. Wouldn’t 
he just fancy a monthly income of what the fellow 
got like this in a year, no doubt more than five 
hundred thalers, didn’t Hetty think? And if that was 
no good, and if they wouldn’t let him start his business, 
well, all right !—then he would say he was a com¬ 
mission agent ; they couldn’t make any difficulties 
then. 

! But as they turned the corner the wind met them, 
blowing in short, fierce gusts down Konig Street, 
drinking up the last drops of moisture from walls, 
window-sills, and side-paths, and even making the 
great quiet puddles on the road curl and toss in sudden 
rebellion. Not content with that, it literally tore the 
words out of Julius’s mouth, so that Hetty unfortunately 
remained in ignorance of her fiance's latest and most 
Drivate plans for the future which the wind’s unjust 




350 


HETTY GEYBERT 


favouritism carried to someone walking behind them, 
for whose ears they were never intended, whilst all 
that was left of his speech for Hetty was the move¬ 
ment of his face and hands, which certainly reproduced 
the rate and intensity of his thoughts and resolves, 
but kept their actual import shrouded in absolute 
mystery. 

And as Hetty looked down on the little broad, 
snorting figure at her side, with its red face and self- 
satisfied, complacent movements, she remembered that 
she had once walked here with someone to whom 
she had to raise her head to look, with frank happiness* 
into his eyes. 

At the corner of the Jews’ Street Julius said they 
would see each other again at dinner—he was now a 
constant guest at the Geyberts, and Aunt Rika was 
filled with pride when at every meal, smacking his lips 
and laughing at his own wit, he expressed his approba¬ 
tion by saying that her fare was not only better but 
cheaper than at Francke’s, so he would take a season 
ticket from then on. 

When Julius kissed Hetty’s hand and went—talking 
to himself, as one could see by his movements—past 
the great black court-house buildings, that strange 
inexplicable fear which had lain silent for a few 
moments came over Hetty again with redoubled force. 

The wind, too, seemed unwilling that Hetty should 
go to see Uncle Jason, and sought to dissuade her by 
every means at its disposal and to prevent her getting 
on her way, even trying to push her back by force 
but Hetty only looked upon its good intentions as ill- 
will, held the corner of her mantilla before her face 
and walked on in its very teeth. 

At the corner of Kloster Street it made one more! 
effort with all the force of its stormy eloquence, 
forcing Hetty to stop for a moment to recover breath, 
but only for a moment, before she rounded the corner, 
and immediately after stood in the large empty porch 
with its echoes and uncanny silence. She was kept 
waiting after ringing at the tall, closed, wooden gate, 




HETTY GEYBERT 


351 


with its brown faces and angels’ heads, and the time 
seemed endless as she walked restlessly up and down 
one of the joins in the dark boarded floor, until little 
old Fraulein Hortel rattled down the stairs in her 
great felt shoes to open the door and say Herr Jason 
Geybert was up already. 

Hetty’s heart beat so hard in her throat as she 
climbed the broad white stairs that she would still 
have liked to go home again, but that was now im¬ 
possible, and she ought, of course, to be glad to see 
Uncle Jason again. When, however, Hetty was at 
the top, everything went black before her eyes, and she 
had to cling to the balustrade. She had arranged 
everything that she was going to tell Jason quite 
calmly beforehand, but now that had all slipped away, 
and the excitement had robbed her of both thoughts 
and words. 

Then she saw but one thing in the bright green 
room with its red-brown furniture : in the centre a 
pale, very thin man with hollow eyes and scanty hair, 
who might perhaps pass for some unknown, older 
brother of Uncle Jason’s or his sick ghost ; a man 
in a red silk corded dressing-gown with a soft white 
shirt-collar, where the dressing-gown fell open at his 
neck ; a man who from the settee’s green cushions 
stretched out two trembling hands. All that Hetty 
had meant to say to Jason was gone in a second, 
and all she could do was to totter on, fall upon this 
man and take him in her arms. 

“ Come,” Jason said after a long time—and his 
voice sounded small and subdued—“ come now, dear 
old Hetty, and sit down here beside me, do. Do you 
know, I always feel like Dante, who the Milan folk 
thought had really been to hell. This time, Hetty, 
it was nearly so far, and I was just on the point of 
exchanging the sweet habit of existence—as someone 
who evidently was not well acquainted with it once 
said—well then, of exchanging this sweet habit for 
the eternal, unchanging other side of ail things. But, 
made as we are, Hetty, I have lately regretted I did 


352 


HETTY GEYBERT 


not manage it. Yet now in these weeks I have often 
questioned whether that is not, after all, perhaps foolish 
on my part ; a few days ago, when Uncle Eli brought 
me the three early Ludwigsburg groups over there— 
in the front, exactly in the middle—just because I 
once admired them at his house, that was the first 
time ; and now, when you come to pay me a visit, 
is the second.” 

As he spoke Jason held Hetty’s soft, plump hand 
with the pink fingers, as round and smooth as if 
turned on a lathe, between his own that had grown 
so gaunt and bony, and stroked and fondled it 
gratefully. 

“ But one other thing I learnt in those evil days, 
and that is what family feeling is. Solomon, Ferdinand 
and old Eli have been with me all the time, and when 
I was to have wine each of them had always brought 
some better than the other. As soon as I am well 
again I can open a wineshop with the quantity out 
there. And no sooner was I a little better' than great 
baskets of glasses of jelly and preserves came from 
Rika and Minnie. I have never been one to set great 
store by the family, but, in its own way, it means well 
by one. Well, Hetty, no doubt you notice the same, j 
too, now. Rika, a little time back, described your 
furniture and trousseau—a princess could not have 
anything better.” 

Jason stopped with a sigh, and Hetty looked at him 
anxiously, for she was afraid talking had tired him too 
much. But it was not that, only Jason was overcome 
by mentioning a thing of which he could not even 
think without deep sympathy and tearful eyes, but , 
which he must treat with happy equanimity, unless he 
meant to upset Hetty completely, since he could see ; 
well enough that her burden was already as much ! 
as she could bear. 

“ Yes, yes,” he began again, as Hetty still main¬ 
tained an embarrassed silence, “ we two are like ; 
wandering children that have come back home—and 
if we consider it carefully, what should we do away 




HETTY GEYBERT 


353 


from it ? Nowhere else can we find a room heated 
for us and so nice and warm and comfortable as 
those at home.” 

Hetty’s eyes were again filled with the tears she had 
just wiped from their corners. “ You may be right 
there, Uncle.” 

Jason nodded as if to say, “ Only too right, Hetty, 
only too right,” but he did not utter the words aloud, 
only remarking as he gave her cheek a kindly pat : 
“ Do you know, I had hoped you would come sooner. 
Now you are going to be married directly, of course 
you can’t spare thoughts for me any more ; you 
have other things in your head, and later on you 
will have other quite different things again—c’est la 
vie ! ” 

“ It wasn’t my doing, Uncle ; but Aunt Rika 
wouldn’t hear of it,” Hetty answered in self-defence. 
“ As you know, she is so superstitious that she dinned' 
in my ears every day that, as a bride-to-be, I must 
not visit anyone ill, or else I should have come, for I 
had plenty of time. Besides, Julius only came back 
to Berlin ten days ago.” 

Jason looked straight in front of him. “ Yes, yes.” 
And then he added : “Yes, many people are certainly 
strangely superstitious. ’’ 

But Hetty did not understand the allusion. “ Aunt 
Rika was against my coming to you to-day, but she 
couldn’t prevent me. Please do come to my wedding. 
Uncle, if only for an hour ; see, the carriage will 
fetch you and bring you back whenever you wish to 
go. But when I think that you are not to be there I 
cannot look forward to anything that day.” 

Hetty managed to say this pretty well, but not well 
enough to hide an underlying note from Jason, and 
this note hurt him. 

“You know that, up till now, I have only been 
out three times for an hour in the midday sun—and 
even that was too much for me.” 

“ Oh, Uncle, if you can go out like that now, why 
can you not come to me? ” Hetty pleaded. 

23 


354 


HETTY GEYBERT 


“ Well, I thought ”—and Jason’s hard-fought friendly 
calm entirely deserted him—“ I thought, Hetty, you 
would really rather not have me there.” 

“ No, no, Uncle,” Hetty exclaimed with a fresh 
flow of tears. “ You must come. Uncle ; you know 
you must come. Do it to please me, so that I shall 
not be so quite, quite by myself then.” 

These words cut Jason to the heart, and taking 
Hetty’s head in his wasted hands, he drew it down 
to him. 

“If I can give you pleasure by coming, Hetty, 
then you know, of course, that I shall not say no.” 

“ Won’t you? You won’t desert me, will you, 
Uncle? ” Hetty’s face was all flushed and wet with 
tears. 

Jason tried to soothe her—she was taking too 
gloomy a view of it all, and would be quite happy 
in her marriage. She would have no money worries, 
and everything would turn out better than she thought. 
Yet, if she was so against it, why had she said yes ? 
He was sure Solomon had not forced her. 

“ No,” Hetty answered, “ I haven’t been forced 
at all. I did it of my own free will. 

“ You see, Uncle, we always fancy something or 
other has come as a gift to us ; but nothing comes as 
a free gift to us ; sooner or later, in this life, the bill 
is put before us. We cannot eat others’ bread any¬ 
where for twenty years without paying, and this was 
simply the bill that was put into my hand. And 
since I did not see how I could run up bills in my 
Uncle’s house, I have paid it now.” 

“ No,” said Jason,, “ I have my own thoughts about 
that ; but see, Hetty, wherever you come you bring 
with you so much intelligence and beauty, and the 
very groundwork and roo^ of your nature is such a 
sense of proportion and su n a kindly, pure sympathy 
and understanding, that you will find good everywhere, 
and this root will always hold firm, untouched by any 
adverse outer happenings. Just as you have remained 
quite unchanged at Solomon’s from the hour you came 



HETTY GEYBERT 355 

until now, so you will still remain in your own 
home.’* 

Hetty shook her head, for she knew herself, best 
of all, that it was not so ; she was just going to 
answer when she heard voices outside, and the old 
terror rushed out wildly, glowed and blazed in her 
heart as in a burning sheaf of straw. Even Jason’s 
face expressed a sudden fright as he jumped up from 
the couch and wrapped his dressing-gown tightly round 
him. 

“If you wish, Hetty, I’ll tell him to go at once.’’ 

“ I would like to see him once again, Uncle. Has 
he been back long? ’’ Hetty’s voice sounded very 
firm and calm. 

“ Some time ; he is at the Library now.’’ 

Then Kossling stood before them. 

It was the same Chance as had led him to Hetty that 
time when he was in Konig Street with Jason, but 
then Chance had a tight bandage over her eyes. It 
was the same Chance as, a few weeks later, brought 
the two together by themselves in Konig Street and 
then continued her game out in Charlottenburg ; the 
same Chance as had brought Kossling and Jason 
together on the Elector’s Bridge. By then she had 
loosened the bandage a little and peeped out under 
it with secret, stolen glances. But now this Chance 
had taken off the bandage and showed her true face, 
a face with stern, iron features and eyes blue as 
tempered steel. And then her name was Fate. Fate 
that seizes two human beings and welds them together 
and drags them by their chains to airy heights and 
to sorrow’s deepest depths, Fate that lifts them up 
and casts them down, that pushes and kneads, that 
inspires and crushes. It was Fate here—no longer 
the blind, fumbling, good-humoured Chance of times 
gone by, no longer Chance with the stolen glances 
and scheming smile of later times, but Chance that 
had with a quick, wild gesture torn off the bandage 
and stood revealed as Fate, with glances as of tempered 
steel, silently demanding its fulfilment. . . . 


356 


HETTY GEYBERT 


The first to speak was Hetty, apparently quite at 
her ease, although her voice sounded weary. 

“ Well, Doctor,” she said, stretching out her hand, 
“ it is indeed a long time since we met.” She almost 
added : “ And meantime things have not gone well 

with either of us.” 

Kossling looked at her with quiet sorrow. 

“ I was at home again for a long time. You 
know, I always had a sort of home-sickness for 
citizenship, and they wanted to have my help in the 
school management, but then I got news that I could 
have the post in the Royal Library here. I had 
applied for it before, but had almost forgotten about 
it again, so I made haste to come back here. It suits 
me better, for I have always been half and half a 
bookworm, and now I’ll be one quite.” 

Hetty looked at him. “ Yes, you told me once 
you could not live except in a large town.” 

“ Oh no, Fraulein Hetty, it is no longer the large 
town that is the attraction.” 

Then Jason quickly interposed : “ He wanted me 

so badly,” he said, with a smile. 

“ Yes, Fraulein, I had no idea of all that had 
meantime happened here.” 

Hetty dropped her eyes. 

“ No idea, so I came here very happily to tell 
your uncle my news ; my mind was full of it. My 
first journey was to this house, where I was told no 
one was admitted. ‘ Why not, then ? ’ I ask, quite 
taken aback. Well, he was a little better again, but 
no one was allowed to see him yet. And with that 
they shut the door in my face. Then for a whole 
week I came to inquire every day until at last I had 
leave to see and speak to him.” 

“ Well,” Jason interrupted with a laugh, for he 
was anxious to prevent Kossling’s saying any more 
and perhaps getting to those last bad days when 
Jason had for hours at a time used all his powers of 
quiet eloquence to keep Kossling from the most ex¬ 
treme measures at least. ‘‘ Well, my friend, I, for 



HETTY GEYBERT 


357 


> 

my part, will still make it all up. But what about the 
edition of Christian Garve’s Society and Solitude . 
Where did it come out? You said you would look 
it up.” 

“ Yes, and so I did, dear Herr Geybert. It 
appeared in Breslau, and is certainly to be had quite 
cheaply now.” 

‘‘Do you think you could get it for me?” 

“ Certainly ; it is by no means uncommon.” 

Oh, I should be so pleased,” Jason exclaimed in 
a louder and more excited tone than the occasion 
really demanded. Then turning to Hetty, he went on : 
“ Well, I expect you wonder at me, and no doubt 
think I am like old Cerf of the Theatre Royal, who 
used to sit at his door with a newspaper upside down, 
so that passers-by might think he could read. 

Hetty had been looking all the time at Kossling. 
and Jason’s remark made her start and laugh, although 
she had barely heard what he said. Kossling had 
grown quite silent, too, and sat as if studying each of 
Hetty’s features, to see if he could still find in them 
what was there before. Jason looked anxiously from 
one to the other, until he suddenly felt that he had 
made a great mistake here, and must do his utmost 
to save what he could from ruin. 

‘‘Well, Hetty,” he said, “ then the next time I see 
you, you will have the dignity of a young married 
woman. What’s that line of Goethe’s ? ‘ And do not 

always ask papa and mama.’ Then, Hetty, once again, 
because you wish it, and only for that reason, I am 
coming, even if it’s only for an hour ; but come I 
certainly will, my darling ! Thank you so much for 
your visit—you must not think I do not realize, Hetty, 
that no doubt you have still lots to arrange and pack 
up these days, and something else to do than to sit 
here with your old sick uncle.” 

Hetty had got up. “ Then till we meet again, 
Uncle Jason, and you know why I am so glad 1” 

“ Yes,” Jason said almost solemnly, for at this 
moment he firmly believed he could feel the fate 




358 HETTY GEYBERT 

of two human beings in his hand, two fine threads 
that were loosely joined, and which he could part 
again without pulling or tearing, without hurting them 
or cutting with knife or scissors. “ And now do 
you and Dr. Kossling take each other’s hand to say 
a farewell, free from resentment or grief, like two 
who have travelled together joyously a little bit of 
the road and must now go on, one to the right and 
the other to the left.” 

But as Kossling flushed red as fire and almost 
staggered forward, whilst Hetty turned and passed 
him without a word on her way to the door, apparently 
at once avoiding and seeking him, Jason Geybert saw 
that the threads lay, not in his hand, but in another’s, 
a hand that in no way tried to part them, but only 
twisted and knotted them more firmly together. And, 
worn out with excitement and talking, Jason fell back 
on the pillows, pale and with a groan of pain. 

Hetty latched the door very quietly behind her, 
stopped for a moment outside to glance down the 
covered stairway winding down with its white banisters 
and slow curves, then went slowly, as though with 
shackled feet, down the broad steps, stopped to look 
through a coloured window on to a grey courtyard, 
went a little farther, still slowly as with shackled feet, 
stopped once more and looked into the courtyard.' 
She had no feeling at all of what had happened to 
her all she felt was the dull thud and hum of her 
own pulse in her ears. She no longer knew who 
she was or what had happened to her * knew no 
longer that she was engaged, that all her things were 
to go this afternoon into her new home, and that she 
still had to pack. She still remained standing on the 
steps with her hand on the banister, lost in wordless 
thoughts whose meaning she could not have disclosed, 
but which yet tormented her because they were beyond 
her control. 

When, at last, the high carved door separating the 
stairway from the entrance hall closed behind her, 
Hetty stopped once more to think, as if she did not 


HETTY GEYBERT 


359 


know where she belonged, and as if she had left 
something behind that she must fetch. Then she 
heard once more a rattling on the hall window-pane 
and leaden frame, a rushing and gurgling in the gutter 
above, and she thought it was certainly raining again, 
but would soon leave off. Then she heard steps 
at the top of the stairs, at the very top, but when she 
wanted to get out at the door quickly she felt as 
though her feet were nailed fast to the floor. Then 
those steps above died away, the rattle and rush 
stopped too, and Hetty was completely overmastered 
by those wordless thoughts so utterly beyond her 
control. Now, however, Kossling stood opposite her 
with a frightened look on his face. 

“You still here, Fraulein Hetty?” Hetty made a 
gesture that might be interpreted as “ How, indeed, 
could I help it? ” and looked at Kossling with tender 
entreaty in her eyes, whose depths were once more 
black and velvety, like the petals of dark pansies. 

“ Have you been waiting here for me, Fraulein 
Hetty? ” 

Hetty shook her head. “ I don’t know.” 

“ No, Fraulein Hetty.” Kossling took her hand. 
“ There is no need for you to justify yourself to me, 
no need for you of all people.” 

Hetty shook her head once more. 

“ What have I been, then, for you, that you should 
owe me an explanation what should I be if you, 
because of this matter, lost one iota of what you 
have been and always will be for me? Good heavens 
above, Fraulein, what do you take me for, I wonder, 
if this were not so? ” 

Hetty still stood thinking, with her eyes fixed on a 
couple of loose splinters standing up from the jagged 
edge of the boards—they assumed a sudden importance 
for her, these sharp, pointed splinters. 

“ And just because, to begin with, I never . felt 
any resentment ; really, I never did, only pain, it is 
true.” Kossling hesitated, for he felt that Hetty was 
not listening. He felt it plainly as Hetty stood there 




360 


HETTY GEYBERT 


like someone walking in her sleep, doing nothing 
but stare at the few loosened splinters, as though 
compelled to look down at them ; and then, quite 
suddenly, she spoke in a voice that seemed to come 
from a distance. 

“ What you have been to me? Is that what you 
ask? ” 

Kossling again had the same sensation as when, in 
bygone days, a boy hit him on the head with a leaden 
bullet. The wall behind him, the white wall, drew 
back and fell down slowly in a slanting line, and he 
groped behind his back, with outstretched arms, seeking 
it in empty space ; the ceiling above came down and 
the ground at his feet came to meet him. 

“ Hetty ! ” 

That sounded like some animal’s cry in the night, 
a cry as if he had to awaken all the house. Then 
Hetty flew to him and almost fell to the ground with 
him ; then they both tore themselves up again and 
clung lip to lip, loosened their arms a little as though 
to look into the other’s eyes, once more threw their 
arms round one another as if never meaning to awake 
to life again from this embrace. And when Hetty 
had pressed her lips to Kossling’s she drew his head 
down and kissed his eyes and forehead, whilst her 
tears poured over his face. But Kossling never ceased 
repeating the one word he had murmured to himself 
day and night, and whilst he whispered in her ear, 
stroked and embraced her, kissed her lips and white 
temples, Hetty always stammered confusedly midst tears 
and laughter : 

“ I knew it all the time ; I knew it all the time.” 

And their love grew ever more ardent, enfolding 
their embraces as with a hot cloak, whilst outside the 
wind battered against the door, and the rain drummed 
on the window-panes. Each time they threw them-l 
selves into one another’s arms they felt as though they 
were but one. 

At last, however, Kossling, with a sudden pull, 
tore the door open and the wind blew in with full 



HETTY GEYBERT 


361 


force, driving a cold wet shower into their hot faces, 
whilst outside the water splashed up from the stones, 
poured with a rush into the gutters, rattled its hundreds 
of drops into the pools on the roadway, and marked 
the house-walls with broad wet stripes. 

Suddenly it struck Hetty that far down in the 
distance there was something that belonged to her : 
a house, people, and a husband she would have to 
follow. Once more her mind flew back to the words, 
“ we cannot eat others’ bread anywhere for twenty 
years without paying,” and she uttered them once 
more as if half dreaming. 

“.What is wrong?” Kossling asked in tender 
anxiety, bending over her. 

But Hetty, instead of answering, took his arm. 

“ Come, Fritz ! ” 

And they both went with laughing faces through 
the rain up Kloster Street. 

“ Listen,” Hetty began after a pause ; “do you 
understand, Fritz, they handed me the bill. I was 
twenty years in that house—or was it longer, dearest? 
Twenty years when we did not know each other ; 
yes, and then, you see, now I must pay for them. 
And—I have no money left, because I have to give 
it all to you.” 

Kossling stopped to look at Hetty anxiously, for 
he did not understand her meaning. 

“ My beloved, my sweet one, you must not talk 
like that,” he said. 

“Yes, what is to come of it now, Fritz? I tell 
you, I cudgel my brains but I cannot tell. But some¬ 
thing or other will surely happen. Don’t you think 
something will happen? And I could do no other. 
After I had been there for twenty years, of course I 
had to pay the bill.” 

Kossling bent down to kiss her, and the raindrops 
mingled with the tears on his cheeks. Then, silently 
and breathing deeply, they crossed a courtyard where 
the wind lashed the trees, looking, as they passed, 
into tall windows, behind which great white forms, 


362 


HETTY GEYBERT 


groups and horses appeared like spectres until they 
entered New Friedrich Street, and through the rain 
Hetty could distinctly hear the clock chiming the hour 
and reminding her that she must go home. 

So they stood in a house-porch clasping each other’s 
hands, neither turning their eyes from the other’s face, 
although their tears well-nigh blinded them. Hetty 
once more murmured that she . had, of course, to 
pay the bill, and Kossling, knowing now the meaning 
of her words, said that they would always feel to 
one another as now, but that in spite of it, he trusted 
she would be as happy as she had made him, and 
perhaps life in its course might bring them together 
again when they had grown pure and calm. Yet 
every feeling of his heart belied his words. Once more 
they fell into each other’s arms, could not part, whilst 
kisses fell in benediction on eyes, brow and lips as 
exchanging vows of fidelity they parted, slowly walked 
one step away, only to spring together again like iron 
splinters drawn irresistibly together by some magnetic 
force. 

Then, all at once, Hetty was alone in Konig Street, 
and she stepped on, tall, straight and upright, with' 
her head thrown back once more, and the dignified 
walk that marked all the Geyberts ; that is, she herself 
did not step on, she knew nothing of it ; something 
in her moved without any co-operation on her part ; 
she saw her own walk, strangely enough, somewhat 
as we always see ourselves in our dreams. The rain 
had stopped for a time, and the wind was again 
trying to dry up every drop of moisture—a useless 
game, since before its accomplishment it took care 
itself to make its own work of no avail. 

Now here was the house and Hetty went in, looked 
through the glass door into the office, where the book¬ 
keepers swayed behind their tall desks like horses at 
their mangers, and nodded once more, lost in smiling 
thoughts, to the two white plaster casts, Cupid and 
Psyche and Bacchus training the young God of Love. 

Upstairs her aunt, uncle and Julius were all in 



HETTY GEYBERT 


363 


their places at the round table, waiting for her, and 
the room looked just as usual. Under the blue sofa 
stood lines and columns of glasses and stone jars, 
perhaps in even closer array than the spring before ; 
on the backs of the chairs there still hung the two 
head-rests, the one adorned with the parrot, the other 
with the beautiful script which imprinted “ Sweet ” 
in reverse characters on Aunt Rika’s cheek for the 
rest of the afternoon ; the little silken dog on the 
footstool still kept his black bead eyes, and the biscuit - 
china pictures still swung and gently rattled on their 
chains in the draught from the wind outside. 

Julius greeted Hetty, and Aunt Rika was glad to 
see her, whilst Uncle Solomon sat there in his little 
cap with the wreath of oak-leaves worked in chain- 
stitch. 

And Hetty answered ; that is, she herself did not 
answer, but something answered from her lips, quite 
fluently and frankly and with a pleasant, friendly 
calm, whilst she herself only listened in astonishment 
and wondered at each word she heard. 

Then Aunt Rika told her that she had got on 
really well that morning in the new home, and this 
strange something, always ready with speech and 
answer, was interested in it all, and asked how the 
furniture had been arranged, then listened to a long 
discussion between Solomon and Julius about the firm, 
even venturing to give its opinion. Yet all the time 
Hetty felt that she was sitting there stiff, unmoved, 
upright—only her cheeks were burning. Then, when 
dinner was over, this something that still spoke with 
her lips, still thought and acted for her, gave her 
uncle a kiss, her aunt a kiss, and even kissed Julius 
in very quick and careless fashion—a surprise to unde 
and aunt, for they were totally unaccustomed to any 
demonstrations of affection between the two. After 
this, however, Hetty quickly said she must go to her 
room to pack, and the maid had better bring her 
two linen-baskets—that she thought would surely be 
enough. 


364 


HETTY GEYBERT 


But now, when Hetty was once more alone in her 
room, sitting on the black leather couch with its rows 
of white buttons, looking at the goggle-eyed goldfish 
as he splashed in the round bowl with its earthenware 
stand and shepherdess ; looking, too, at the top of 
the cabinet where she saw the little gilt openwork 
basket with the two girls gathering, roses that held 
all her precious keepsakes ; when the setting sun 
cast a red shimmer over the day’s grey light—then 
that strange something that talked and walked for 
her had disappeared, and Hetty was again but an 
oppressed creature, tortured by piercing thoughts, word¬ 
less indeed, but beyond her power to control. 

The maid came from the back of the house along 
the covered balcony to bring the linen-baskets, into 
which Hetty packed all her little white china figures, 
very carefully lest anything should be broken, and 
from boxes and cases she took untold quantities of 
trifles, all kinds of old silver and gold ornaments set 
with moonstones, amethysts and malachite, as well as 
chains, bracelets, exercise-books, old school reports, 
and her few books, each with an inscription in Uncle 
Jason’s running hand. In a little casket at the very 
top lay the violets, withered and dead between the 
pencils and miniature, the silver needle-case and the 
lock of hair. With the tips of her fingers Hetty 
carefully collected them, and taking an envelope from 
the new box of stationery that her uncle had brought 
from Karlsbad—a false prophet he had proved, for 
she had not written on a single sheet—she put into 
it the faded blossoms, still tinted with blue, and put 
them on the top of the cabinet. 

Before long Gustav and the new porter came up, 
and telling Hetty that she need have no fear, for 
they would treat her things as though they were new- 
laid eggs, they lifted the baskets in their great toil- 
worn hands with such tender care that not even the 
china ventured to make itself heard. 

Yet when Hetty was once more alone in the half- 
dark room that strange something, that worked, gave 


HETTY GEYBERT 365 

directions, talked for her, had disappeared again, and 
there Hetty sat with folded hands on one of the white 
chairs looking through the glass panes of the empty 
cabinet at the last rays of parting day. She had 
meant to think of Kossling, but, curiously enough, 
she did not in the least know what he looked like, 
whether she loved him, whether this other was right 
or wrong. She was entirely under the dominance of 
those worrying thoughts that really led nowhere, and 
she had a curious feeling that she must look at 
everything here once more because she would never 
see it again. 

Was it, then, her room still? Everything stood 
bare and empty, cupboards and cases with a strange 
hollow look about them ; not even her album lay on 
the rep tablecloth ; all that was left of her belongings 
was the little envelope of dead violets and the gold¬ 
fish here splashing round his glass bowl in the half¬ 
dark room. And even the goldfish was to be taken 
over the next day. All that she had lived through here 
had now shrunk into a few memories. But then those 
silent piercing thoughts came back again, and Hetty 
never even noticed how darkness fell around her, 
broken only by a single reflected ray of light on the 
glass bowl in front of her, until suddenly she heard 
the sound of the bell and its tinkle, tinkle, followed 
by Ferdinand’s voice and Janey’s, mingled with another 
that she thought must be old Naphthali’s, and by 
Rosalie’s and Flossie’s laugh and whispers in the 
passage. Then she got up, crossed the balcony, 
where the wet walnut-boughs rustled against her gown, 
and after she had seen that all was right in the 
kitchen, went on to join the noisy talking company. 

All evening that strange something which she heard 
and saw in amazement, yes, really saw as we see 
ourselves in our dreams, spoke with her lips. It 
asked questions, chatted, answered, ate, drank, clinked 
glasses with Julius, Uncle Naphthali, and with all 
and sundry, gave a sisterly kiss to Flossie and Rosalie, 
submitted to a few of Ferdinand’s jokes, which were 





366 


HETTY GEYBERT 


undeniably not in the best of taste—to the giggling 
delight of Flossie and Rosalie—even laughed as 
Naphthali, to end up with, when Solomon sent for 
two more bottles, got up and said : “ Why should 

I drink this heavy wine so late at night? I’m going 
to the inn.” Yes, laughed at this remark, which 
doubtless was stronger from a dietetic than from a 
grammatical point of view. 

Very soon, however, Hetty was once more alone, 
and the gnawing, hammering, buzzing began again * 
there she lay with open eyes fixed on the dusky folds 
of the bed-hangings that still held a glimmer of light, 
though where it came from no tongue could tell. 
Every moment she felt sure that something must 
happen—what she neither knew nor dreamt—but she 
was firmly convinced that come it would. And what 
seemed stranger than all else to her was that she 
could not think of Kossling at all ; in spite of all 
her efforts, her attempts to call up his picture before 
her mind, everything still remained vain and empty ; 
all she felt was but that gnawing oppression, those 
inarticulate thoughts all tending to one point. And 
if she really dropped asleep for a short time it was 
only to dream again of the great red spider with 
crawling legs, that very slowly let itself down from 
a ceiling heavens high, getting bigger and bigger, 
quicker and quicker, until at last it hung exactly over 
Hetty, hung for a moment so motionless that she 
could see every joint of the long, pliable feet, every 
ring on its blood-red body, every bend of its quivering 
feelers, before this wild greedy dream-phantom fell 
with the full force of its body on to her, and Hetty 
started up in horror, her hands grasping the empty 
air. 

At last, with tardy steps, a grey day crept up with 
its wind-tossed clouds behind the close bare branches 
of the walnut-tree. But no. glitter of the china in the 
glass cupboard responded to the first ray of dawn, 
and even under her down-quilt Hetty shivered at this 
unfamiliar emptiness. Aunt Rika gave an early knock 


HETTY GEYBERT 367 

at her door, for there was much to be done, and 
Hetty must go over at once with her into the new 
flat. As they all sat together as usual over their 
morning coffee, Hetty, Aunt Rika and Uncle Solomon, 
that something which spoke for Hetty talked here 
too ; but yet Hetty felt every moment how strange 
her uncle’s manner was to her, as if, so it seemed to 
her, he w r as only sitting waiting for her to speak to 
him ; at the very last second indeed, when she came 
in again with her new cloak and wide hood, Hetty 
fancied he motioned to her with his eyes, as though 
entreating her to speak her mind, but before this had 
quite penetrated her consciousness she was already out 
with her aunt down the street in the wind and rain. 

Then came the unpacking and arranging the things 
in the cupboards—royal china, every piece with its 
painted group of flowers and its inscription 44 your 
welfare,” and Rhenish pottery with dark-blue birds 
and tendrils for everyday use. Then she had to hang 
up her dresses, and every creak of the wardrobe bolts 
went through Hetty like a sharp knife. Julius also 
joined them, but Aunt Rika told him he was no use 
here, only in the way, although if he would go to 
the confectioner, Candieni’s, and tell him he must 
kindly send the first order at nine o’clock, but the 
second was not wanted before two, then he would 
at least prove that he was not a useless cumberer of 
the ground. 

As Hetty walked homewards again she tried to 
recall how her new home looked, but that picture, 
too, was effaced and gone. Dinner came and went, 
and the other Hetty talked of ordinary matters quite 
frankly and easily, whilst she herself sat there waiting 
in silence for what the next second must surely bring, 
oppressed and struggling meantime with those dull, 
undefined, inarticulate thoughts of hers. 

In the afternoon, however, it so happened that Hetty 
was quite alone ; her uncle was in the office, her aunt 
away arranging the new kitchen ; Julius had gone 
to Steheli’s with Naphthali, who wanted to see how 


368 HETTY GEYBERT 

things went there, and Flossie and Rosalie were in 
any case more often at Janey’s than here. Then— 
when she was alone—Hetty went, as in a dream, once 
more through all the rooms, sat some time on the 
high chair in the dining-room, looked at the engravings 
on the wall, the bright things on the sideboard, all 
the pieces of work, cushions, head-rests, covers familiar 
to her in every stitch and the biscuit-china pictures 
at the windows, again gently swaying on their chains, 
“ Morning Greeting ” and “ Evening Prayer,” “ The 
Warrior and His Son ” and “ The Negro’s Bath,” 
which Uncle Solomon said made very good pairs. 
Hetty caressed them all with tearful glances—she did 
not know why, for, as she tried to convince herself, 
she could come here again in two days’ time. 

Next Hetty went into the green drawing-room ; as 
once before, she had to push open the wooden shutters 
when the grey afternoon suddenly called forth all the 
high lights of the white pieces of furniture with their 
golden swan-necks ; only the green silk walls looked 
a little paler than before, But all Hetty’s trousseau, 
the dresses that had hung from the chandelier arms, 
the linen that had lain on the tables, the rows of shoes 
on the polished floor, the hoods and shady hats, the 
mantles and little caps—all this had left not a scrap 
of paper-wrapping, not an end of twine even to bear 
it witness, and had it not been for the aroma of clean 
linen the room might well seem to have entirely for¬ 
gotten Hetty already. All was in its accustomed order : 
here by the high mirrors stood the moustached Turk, 
guarding the tiny little ticking clock, and over there 
the bronze Cupid was still sharpening his arrow ; the 
candles were again bowed like trees after a hurricane, 
and not a painted cup or silver sugar-tongs was missing 
from the cabinets. Everything stood untouched in its 
place ; there was the flower-table with the india- 
rubber plant and the palm, and there the square piano. 
As Hetty looked at it all with sorrowful curiosity it 
suddenly struck her that Kossling had been the last 
to play on those notes, which no one had struck since 


HETTY GEYBERT 36» 

then. Her tears began to flow, and she sank on her 
knees before the piano, touching again and again 
the black and white keys with her forehead and burning 
lips until the broken chords at her gentle touch re¬ 
echoed in glassy, ghostly tones through the silent room. 
All that evening flashed before her mind, and she 
saw everything as it then was here Eli had sat with 
her aunts, there they had played at cards, over there 
in that white niche she had stood with Kossling, until 
the aunts, with their unmistakable glances, had asked 
her what she meant by it. As Hetty’s tears flowed 
now they washed away that sense of numbness which 
had stupefied her, and she saw all the loveless misery 
lying before her, and shrank in utter horror at the 
sight. 

Then the rest came back, and once more the fight 
closed round her, until Hetty felt like nothing but a 
marionette, like the doll in Hinkel, Gockel and 
Gackeleia , which was no doll, but a beautiful work 
of art that walked and talked, and at last buzzed away. 

In the evening her aunt dismissed them all very 
soon, for the morrow would be a trying day ; her 
household, too, she drove early to bed, and dinned 
into Uncle’s ears how anxious she was that he should 
be careful next day with his eating and drinking, 
since he knew what the doctor had said. And Aunt 
Rika kissed Hetty and Uncle Solomon, and both said 
they hoped she would never be worse off than she 
had been with them ; indeed, she had their heartiest 
wishes for something better, and to secure this they 
had really and truly done the utmost that lay in 
their power. 

Perhaps a little self-approval peeped out of this 
speech, but I would like to find the man who would 
not have praised himself aloud in like case, and would 
not have believed he was the personification of love 
and goodness. For as soon as we have modestly or 
richly endowed another with a portion of our worldly 
goods we are firmly convinced of our total absolution 
from any other duty with regard to him. 

24 


370 


HETTY GEYBERT 


Now the last night which Hetty so dreaded had 
come. She no longer had the goldfish who had at 
least splashed sometimes in his bowl until yesterday. 
Gustav, the porter, had already taken him over to the 
new home. He had promised to care for him as a 
child of his own, and at parting—because for the 
first few days no one would remember him—he had 
scattered such a handful of food and gum wafers on 
the water that the poor creature was well-nigh 
suffocated. 

Hetty lay there in her room with the envelope 
of faded violets as her only possession, and all seemed 
as strange and uncomfortable as it could be in any 
hotel room that is seen for the first time and will 
be left again at break of day. In vain did she try 
to collect her thoughts ; all she could do was to lie 
there in silent, ceaseless brooding. She felt as though 
something was getting ready within her—as if, at last, 
she must come to some conclusion ; she fancied her 
feelings could not be unlike those of some captive 
tightly bound in chains, who in silent misery strains 
every muscle to break his bonds. Once, when she 
was a child, she had seen a man carried off like that, 
and the vision of this man, which she had never seen 
before except in some nightmare, lived again before 
her mind. Then, however, Hetty fell into a sound 
and dreamless sleep, not light and broken as before, 
but where she lay in deep weary faintness of spirit 
and heavy as a log. . . . 

When Hetty awoke she looked with a feeling of 
stupefaction out on to the grey day and the shower 
of rain, bending down the bare boughs of the walnut- 
tree before her window, and saw everything as through 
a gauze veil. It was some time, indeed, before she 
recalled to mind that this was the morning of her 
wedding-day. But then the conviction again over¬ 
powered her that it was, after all, impossible, and 
that something would surely happen. It could not 
be true—something must prevent it. 

As she still lay like this with her eyes fixed on 


HETTY GEYBERT 371 

the folds of the canopy above the bed, and her 
thoughts wandering aimlessly hither and thither—just 
as a shipwrecked mariner scans the horizon for the 
mast-head he so ardently desires—she heard a 
knocking, a continuous knocking. But she paid no 
heed, and all at once there stood Jenny beside Hetty’s 
bed in a white muslin frock with a little wreath of 
rosebuds on her hair, and asked her to come and see 
a surprise waiting for her. 

Hetty got up rubbing her eyes, but this dull numb 
feeling that gave such a far-away feeling to every¬ 
thing did not disappear, and that silent, aimless 
brooding still held her in its grasp. All day long 
she looked at everything around her with wondering 
eyes, now and again even losing sight of it altogether ; 
at other times it came rolling up so close to her that 
she saw every image with unnatural clearness of vision. 
And she heard every word uttered near her as clearly 
as if it had been shouted through a speaking-trumpet. 

Hetty dressed quickly, for she heard knocking 
again. Then she went to the cabinet for her gold 
locket, which she always wore on a little chain round 
her neck, put in it a couple of the faded violets and 
let it fall once more into its hiding-place on her 
bosom. This done, Hetty went out into the rain 
on to the balcony, leant far over the railing, and 
rubbing each flower to atoms in her fingers, she 
dropped the rest of the dead violets slowly on the 
courtyard below. When she had finished she drew a 
sigh of relief, and felt that the last tie that bound 
her to this house was now torn asunder. 

The green front room was already full of people, 
her uncle in full dress and her aunt in her silver-grey 
satin. Julius was wearing a new blue coat with 
shining gilt buttons that had been made by Jason’s 
tailor. Ferdinand was there as well as Naphthali and 
Eli. Wolfgang was sitting sadly in a corner, and 
Jenny in her little white muslin frock was nervously 
standing, first on one foot, then on the other. Minnie 
and Janey held lace handkerchiefs that they surrep- 


372 


HETTY GEYBERT 


titiously put up to their eyes now and again, whilst 
Julius looked very solemn with a leather case under 
his arm, not unlike a little violoncello. Hetty wondered 
what these people were doing here, and smiled at the 
comical gathering. But then Janey threw herself in 
all her breadth on Hetty as she sobbed her good wish 
on her wedding-day that she might be happier than 
she had been herself with her Ferdinand. 

Then it flashed upon Hetty that the fat little man 
over there in the blue coat would be her husband 
ever after to-day. Then it disappeared again, and 
was followed by a sense of wonder. She said some¬ 
thing, but although on the preceding days she had 
always plainly heard what came from her lips, now 
she was no longer conscious of what it was. But 
then she was standing beside Julius with all the others 
facing her—stiff and motionless. And she saw Jenny 
in front of her, in both hands balancing a white 
cushion, on which lay a green wreath covered with 
a narrow lace veil, and Jenny, looking very nervous, 
recited : 

“ This morn the sun’s rays shone so gold 
As ne'er was seen in days of old.” 

Yet Hetty thought that in spite of that the rain 
had come down in torrents. Then they all kissed 
Jenny and told her she had done her part very well, 
whilst Naphthali put his hand on her head and asked : 
“How old are you, my child?” So Hetty con¬ 
cluded that Jenny had finished now, and expressed 
her thanks. Julius, however, taking the leather case 
that struck Hetty as so like a little violoncello, gave 
it to her, and as Hetty opened it she saw before her 
eyes a shimmer of red and gold. Those were 
aquamarines and topazes, he said, and she must put 
on the necklace afterwards as her bridal adornment ; 
like a queen she would look, and a queen she was, 
queen of his heart. 

But Solomon stepped forward now with a leather 
case that he dug out of his coat-pocket from under 


HETTY GEYBERT 


373 


his handkerchief and handed to Julius, telling him he 
needn’t wear the watch every day, or it might be 
stolen, and it was too good for that. The watch 
came out of his father’s business ; it had once been 
ordered by a prince, but as he didn’t pay, it had been 
kept back as a precautionary measure. 

Then they went in to breakfast at a long table on 
which wine stood already. And they had not finished 
eating when the book-keepers and store clerks came 
up from the office to offer congratulations and to 
receive their glasses of wine. And more and more 
came whilst Hetty stood beside Julius with his short 
hard fingers tightly clutching her white hand, her 
brain filled with anxious brooding. She remembered 
the tale of a Spanish queen whose corpse was set 
on the throne and received her courtiers’ homage. 
That was how it was with her, she thought. What 
was that queen’s name now? If only Jason would 
come—he could tell her, no doubt. But then Hetty 
thanked again, bowed and laughed until all disappeared' 
once more, and nothing was left but that dull 
oppression and the wordless fear that something must 
happen now, and that no one knew what it might be. 

Now Julius, however, had suddenly disappeared, 
and Naphthali asked Hetty where he was. She did 
not know, but Ferdinand, who was somewhat ex¬ 
cited—for his head could not stand any wine in the 
morning—made a gesture of counting money and 
flourished his hand till his fingers cracked : 

“ Now they’re counting like Fetschow’s bank 
messenger ; totals not known but accounts tally so 
far.” 

“ Excuse me,” Naphthali inquired, “ what dowry is 
your brother giving? ” 

Then, once more, everything sank for Hetty into a 
muffled buzz, and she was standing in her room that 
was no longer hers, whilst Flossie and Rosalie were 
fussing round her, stroking with admiration the rustling 
corded silk until Hetty’s hair almost stood on end. 

They brushed Hetty’s evening cloak with the great 


374 HETTY GEYBERT 

hood as well, for she must slip it on over her dress 
for fear of catching cold in the clear air that plainly, 
foretold a frosty night. 

Then Julius came in, in a very serious and festive 
mood, with a myrtle buttonhole in his new frock-coat, 
and Hetty asked where her uncle and aunt were ; for 
she wanted to tell them she could not pay the bill 
now after all—no, she could not. But the maid told 
her that Herr and F rau Geybert had driven away half 
an hour ago, and Julius added that they must be 
there first, because they were giving the wedding-feast, 
that was always done. 

As Hetty went out of the door she felt as if she 
must cling to the white door-posts and scream,— 
scream, keep on screaming. . . . But then everything 
slipped away again, and all she felt on the half-dark 
stairs was Julius close at her side. She walked across 
the entrance porch on thick red strips of carpet and 
looked, as in a dream, once more at the two plaster 
casts of Cupid and Psyche and Bacchus training the 
young God of Love ; then came a double row of 
heads, and she heard someone say : “ Just look at 

the little bridegroom ; ” the maid, who could not speak 
for tears, handed the cloak to her in the carriage, 
whilst Julius took her hand. For a moment Hetty 
saw across the boats, the castle-buildings standing 
high and dark against a blue sky, over which a 
few white clouds were racing before the wind, but 
in a moment she was walking over red strips again 
with Julius, carrying the cloak that she must put on 
again directly after. And the two were left alone 
for a few seconds in a small room by the stairs, when 
Julius kissed Hetty, exclaiming that he was so happy 
and was sure of his business too. He began to 
arrange his necktie before a small looking-glass, and 
again Hetty had to laugh. But immediately after she 
saw herself in a large room, surrounded by a crowd 
of people shifting and changing places like the bright 
fragments of glass in a kaleidoscope. All of them— 
yes, every one—pushed their way up to her to con- 


HETTY GEYBERT 


375 


gratulate and kiss her, and old Eli said to her—she 
heard it quite distinctly—“ Now put a good face on 
it ! But as Hetty thanked him—for the jeweller 
had already sent Eli’s presents to Solomon—Eli did 
not quite understand, as it was one of his deaf times 
to-day ; at last, however, he made out what it was 
all about. “ Now, Hetty,” he said, shaking his head 
so indignantly that the powder rose in a cloud, “ I 
am glad that you like it, anyway. I always prefer to 
give with an open hand rather than with a tight fist, 
and especially to you, my child ; . . . unfortunately 
that is, after all, all I can do.” < 

Ferdinand, who had been somewhat excited from 
the first, patted Hetty’s neck as he patted his horses, 
and exclaimed : “ Lass, hold up your head, or else 

you are the very image of Queen Esther.” 

And again in Hetty’s brain the gay glass fragments 
fell into the strangest patterns, but she herself was 
sitting in the very midst of a pattern of these gay 
fragments ; the toques with the marabout plumes on 
tall figures, the light little caps with lilac blossom, 
the little wreaths and lace puffs waved to and fro 
round her, like the golden stalks of a cornfield, bend¬ 
ing before the wind. Julius came up to her, and she 
stood alone with him between the four poles of a 
canopy above them ; behind her she could hear 
whispers, and in front of her stood a man in a black 
coat and white collar, raising both arms heavenwards, 
who suddenly roared with the voice of a hungry lion : 
“ The ring is r-r-round, r-r-round is the ring . . . 
an emblem of God without beginning and without 
end.” And Hetty was so frightened that her knees 
nearly gave way. But once again everything dis¬ 
appeared, and only appeared again by slow, indistinct 
stages, until Hetty began to have a glimmering con¬ 
sciousness of where she was. The man was still 
speaking, but although Hetty tried to listen, she could 
make no sense of it, yet she heard again quite plainly : 
“ Yes, it was not in vain that his parents, with wise 
forethought, gave him the name of Solomon, who was, 


876 


HETTY GEYBERT 


as the Scriptures tell us, the wisest among mortals.!' 
Hetty pondered and pondered as to who could be 
meant. The man, however, had got farther by now, 
and was speaking to her—that man who breathed so 
unpleasantly in her face : “ And you, beloved bride, 

now leave the dear dwelling of your loved ones to 
enter the dear dwelling of your beloved husband.” 
How Hetty longed to scream that it was not true, 
and that she would never do it, but then something 
flashed before her eyes, she was asked a question, 
and something answered with her lips, she felt a 
touch upon her hand, and there arose an uproar behind 
as of the tramp of a hundred horses, whilst fifty lips 
were pressed on hers, soft and hard, young and dewy, 
harsh and dry. Aunt Janey melted as if made of 
wax, and little Aunt Minnie, looking like a comet 
with her long train, sobbed herself even smaller as 
she exclaimed again and again that it was too touching. 
Uncle Jason s face appeared in all the confusion, and 
Hetty heard how he called to her above the inter¬ 
vening heads: “Now then, is it all well over? For 
I have only just come, Frau Jacoby—you know it is 
against my principles to look on at such ceremonies.” 

Then Hetty felt Julius take her arm, whilst Philippi 
played “ du du da, di di, du, da, daa,” and Hetty 
tried to think what tune it was, as if she had never 
heard Mendelssohn’s “ Wedding March ” before. The 
folding doors opened—there in the hall, with the many 
tall mirrors on the wall, reflecting and reflecting the 
rays of light, stood a long table, and she was led by 
Julius right away to the end, where the lofty bridecake 
stood in its glory adorned with a pink sugar Cupid. 
And the old hired man Pieper, who had known Hetty 
from a tiny child, wished her happiness and put a 
cup of broth before her. She lifted it to her lips ; 
but it tasted like poison, and her throat refused to 
swallow. She sat motionless, looking down the table. 
All mouths were busy, and she caught sight of her¬ 
self in the mirror behind the tiered cake, and the 
reflection of her topaz and aquamarine necklace hurt 


HETTY GEYBERT 


377 

her eyes. In the mirror, too, she caught sight of 
the table in tenfold reflection, endless rows of people, 
smacking their lips, before the boring, hammering 
and inarticulate brooding began in her once more 
and dulled all her impressions. And Julius said : 
“ Do eat, my darling,” as he threw on her plate 
three little bent fish that stared at Hetty with their 
uncanny, blind eyes like great, grey hailstones. She 
heard a sharp tap on a glass, saw Jason’s tall thin 
figure bending a little forward, and heard his dear 
refined voice at once soft and penetrating. Now 
she really must pay attention, Hetty said to herself, 
but her ears so buzzed and hummed that she scarcely 
heard a word, except one sentence : “ That he was 

left dead on the field was the result of a change of 
identity ; the bullet must, so to speak, have borne his 
name ; ” and as Jason sat down again, everything was 
quiet and motionless, for no one uttered a sound. Then 
Minnie called out to Hetty : “ Now, Hetty, did you 

hear what sort of man your father was ?—But how 
Jason can speak.” 

But now Wolfgang and Jenny came up to lay in 
front of Hetty and Julius two long satin ribbons with 
gold fringes, inscribed with verses. Hetty kissed Wolf¬ 
gang, whose face was quite green and tear-stained. 
The band, however, struck up: “ Oh, what do we 
need to be happy and gay?” and played through 
ten verses. 

Dishes of capon and chicken were handed round, 
whilst Ferdinand sat there with a flaming face already, 
crumbling up his roll. Eli, however, who happened 
to have one of his deaf days, tapped on his glass, 
and you could have heard a pin drop in the silence 
that followed. Eli himself had either caught the shrill 
reverberation of the glass or noticed that the noise 
and voices died down round about him, although he 
had only wanted to attract his neighbour’s attention. 

“ You up there,” he said with great annoyance to 
Naphthali, “ just tell Pieper to bring me some more 
gravy.” 


378 HETTY GEYBERT 

Good heavens ! What a peal of laughter, quite 
drowning the last effects of Jason’s words and intro¬ 
ducing noisy merriment from one end of the hall to 
the other. Every fresh peal of laughter went like a 
knife through Hetty’s brain. Then at last Ferdinand 
rose to his feet to speak, and on such occasions he 
always shone. They all came up to Hetty, giggling 
and clinking glasses with her, and, once more, she 
got a satin ribbon—Jenny gave it this time—inscribed 
with a poem of Flossie’s and Rosalie’s. And the 
company sang its eight verses to the air of “The 
Loving Cup,” but Flossie and Rosalie told Hetty it 
was their own composition. 

Now Naphthali rose to his feet, and Hetty bit her 
lips in her effort to hear what he said, but his voice 
only came to her as from afar : 

I had always heard,” Naphthali slowly began, turn¬ 
ing towards Hetty, “ so much of the bride’s beauty and 
charm, but I hadn’t believed it. Yet, when I came 
here, I thought like the rest. The honoured speaker 
before me told us he had known his Hetty from her 
birth. Well, I have known our Joel more years than 
that, for I held him on my lap when he was marked 
with the sign of the Jewish faith. I was ...” 

Hetty saw Uncle Solomon push his chair back 
angrily, as if he meant to jump up, but, at the 
same moment, everything faded away and the boring 
sensation began again. Julius filled her glass with 
champagne with the remark that on such a day as 
this she must drink champagne, and as he spoke 
she felt through her thin silk dress that heavy fat 
stumpy hand—as if the tips had been chopped off 
all the fingers—felt it on her knees—felt it with such 
aversion and such sudden disgust that she was over¬ 
come with actual physical nausea. 

r 1 rom this moment she cast stolen nervous glances 
at this short, broad man sitting at her side, as if 
hammered down on his chair, smacking, stuffing and 
throwing great pieces and masses of food on her 
plate, ladling out whole mountains of asparagus and 


HETTY GEYBERT 379 

peas with the injunction : “Do take some, Hetty, 
and eat it I ” 

Fresh streams of people came pouring up to clink 
glasses with Hetty, who felt as though she had never 
seen one of the faces before ; now and then came 
the report of some of the crackers the guests were 
pulling with anxiously averted faces, and at every such 
report Hetty felt as if a bullet flew humming and 
whizzing past her temples. The noise grew louder 
every moment as everyone talked, screamed, laughed 
all at once round Hetty, sitting there bolt upright 
and motionless as a rock amidst the tossing surf ; 
she had now reached a state of entire stupefaction, 
with but the one feeling that there was no longer 
even the slightest tie of union between her and those 
others, that her past life’s account had been entered 
in another book ; then, too, always this boring sensa¬ 
tion, this continual anxious thinking, this straining of 
all her muscles against the chains that bound her 
every limb, bound them so tightly that not one could 
stir. Ices came round, but when Hetty took some, it 
seared her throat like molten iron. She saw the 
children going along the table pilfering and putting 
into a paper bag all the delicacies left, and Aunt Rika 
gave her a similar bag, too, to take home with her 
for the evening, and told her she would get the bride¬ 
cake as well. 

But Julius, with a very red face, replied : “ Well, 
if we can’t manage it to-day—we’ll just eat it to¬ 
morrow—shan’t we, Hetty?’’ 

Aunt Rika laughed as she struck at him with her 
fan. But Hetty’s heart was filled with such terror 
that once more everything disappeared. She felt like 
a bird fluttering in a cage, beating head and wings 
against the bars in its helpless terror of the hand 
stretched out to grasp it. 

At last Solomon’s voice was heard above the 
tumult : “I wish my honoured guests a good digestion. 
Coffee we will drink, please, in the yellow drawing¬ 
room.” 


380 HETTY GEYBERT 

And his pride in this rhetorical performance was 
quite evident to all. 

Once more there was a noise like a hundred horses’ 
hoofs, as all the guests ran this way and that, shaking 
hands and offering congratulations and kisses as if 
some miracle had happened. 

Julius sang and hummed without ceasing as Hetty 
walked with him into the yellow room, where every¬ 
one was already crowding round the buffet to assure 
Madame Spiro, with her kindly face and little white 
cap, that the dinner had been, as usual, truly 
magnificent. | 

Soon Hetty and Julius were passing along the rows 
of yellow upholstered seats, so that everyone might 
get a few special words from them. Something still 
spoke independently with Hetty’s lips, to which she 
listened sometimes in fixed astonishment. She looked 
round for Jason, but he had long since gone again, 
and Hetty was left quite alone now to face her 
enemies. 

Naphthali detained her. “ Well, Joel, he exclaimed, 
how do you feel?” 

Julius laughed. 

“ Well, I suppose you are happy enough now, Joel. 
Do you know, I said to myself, ‘The journey costs 
enough, anyway, without giving a big present as well.’ 
But one thing your old uncle does wish you : that 
you may always have a gold coin more than you 
need.” 

Then up came Ferdinand, who had not really been 
sober since the morning. 

“Well, old fellow,” he shouted from a distance, 

how do you feel to-day ? This just suits you, eh ? 

I wish I was as young as you once again.” 

Hetty dropped her bridegroom’s arm as, once more, 
she felt like the bird before a pursuing hand, as if 
she must beat her head against the walls and, blind 
and mad, find some way of escape. 

Right away at the back sat the little old lady with 
the tight curls, and actually her needlework, which she 



HETTY GEYBERT 


381 


was twisting and turning. “ Now, Hetty,” she ex¬ 
claimed, “ do come here. What a pity it isn’t summer, 
then we could take a little stroll down the garden.” 

But, as she spoke, Hetty noticed that the door of 
the little room where her cloak was, stood ajar, and 
her heart flew at such a rate that she could see nothing 
but bright stars before her eyes, and then she turned 
icy cold. 

‘‘Yes, it is a pity ; I should like it better, too,” 
she answered. “ But just a minute . . .” 

Hetty took the one step into the room, saw her 
cloak, tottered, fell on to a chair, tore herself up, 
swayed a second time, and a second time tore herself 
up, threw her cloak over her shoulders, and very 
slowly, inch by inch, peeped through the crack of 
the door out on to the stairs. No one there ; no, no 
one ! Her shoulders followed her head, then came 
one foot—then the other—gently on the tips of her 
toes ; and now she was hurrying down in the satin 
shoes, very fast, tripping along without a sound, whilst 
she saw everything around her, the iron banisters of 
the covered stairway, and the carpet strips on the 
steps, with a strange keenness of perception, the noise 
above reverberating in her ears, even through her 
cloth hood. 

Next, however, the door will not open—will not 
open. Gracious Heaven, what frow ! what now ? Ah, 
there it comes ! And a wave of cold darkness breaks 
on Hetty’s face. 

She stops for a moment with panting breath. No 
one has followed her, not a soul—only the clear night 
surrounds her with thousands of cold, twinkling stars 
on the dark heavens above. Hetty races across the 
roadway, right through the frozen puddles, where the 
thin ice cracks and breaks beneath her feet until, 
with her white shoes, she is ankle-deep in water. She 
grasps the train of her dress, drags it round her feet 
and runs and runs towards the lights, towards Konig 
Street, without meeting a single person. She pauses, 
listens, turns her head ; no, not a sound, not a foot- 


382 HETTY GEYBERT 

fall, not a human voice—everything wrapped in silent 
darkness. 

All Hetty’s oppression and numbness has left her ; 
she is indeed still excited, hot and feverish, but quite 
clear-headed and firm-willed again. And on her bosom 
she can plainly feel her locket. 

***** 

And here, my reader and friend—for I hope you 
are my friend by now—here, then, ends the story of 
Hetty Geybert ;—and, at the very beginning, I only 
promised to tell of her. But the other story left for 
me to tell, the story of poor Henrietta Jacoby, I 
will keep until my restless, torn life finds again seasons 
of refreshment, in whose quiet hours I shall once 
more have visions of those dear shades. 

Till then, however, we will grant their former rest 
to all those who have led us so far with' active steps : 
to Solomon and his spouse, adorned with many virtues ; 
to Jason, buried, as he had lived, a little apart from 
the others ; to Ferdinand and little Wolfgang, who 
crept shyly away before he had developed any under¬ 
standing of the wonderfully delicate mechanism of 
the Greek language, leaving no gap behind him, not 
even in his class, for none of his schoolfellows had 
to move up even one place when it was known that 
Wolfgang would stay permanently and for ever away 
from school ; to Eli and Minnie, whose life soon came 
to an end, and who were buried almost at the same 
time—for the worthy Minnie could not bear life’s heavy 
burden alone—to them, too, we will grant their wonted 
rest. The old heathen, indeed, when he reaches his 
heathen paradise will perhaps—as I suppose, although, 
alas, we have no exact knowledge of these things—the 
old heathen will, no doubt, stand every day at twelve 
o’clock at the corner, with the top-hat worn in his 
day, and his bamboo cane, and subject the sun god’s 
steeds to criticism as condemnatory as he used to 
pronounce on Nagler’s geldings between the shafts 
of the Prenzlau coach. And why should we deny 
rest to her whose name this story bears, the rest 





HETTY GEYBERT 


383 


for which she struggled and which she won by a 
year of hard experience? For, as regards her marriage, 
things did not come out quite smoothly at last, and 
on the gravestone that her uncle put up for her 
Hetty is remembered only as a niece, not as a wife. 
Yet even this last token of affection is now mouldering 
away, and wind and weather, rain and snow, have long 
since washed and rubbed the last vestige of gilt from 
the letters and flourishes, have almost erased and made 
them well-nigh illegible ; they are faded and obliterated 
just as Hetty Geybert’s memory is obliterated from 
the minds of men. But, later on, in some quiet hour, 
I will put fresh gold over the curves and flourishes 
of her life’s lettering, so that it may shine bright 
and legible from afar to every eye. Moreover, for 
him, who was sucked down into the whirlpool, who 
rests within the bounds of no churchyard, to whose 
memory no stone has ever been erected, for him, too, 
I will, at the same time, gild the runic characters of 
his life’s history and make plain to my readers the 
forgotten secrets which now lie hidden from every eye. 


PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN 
BY TTNWIN BROTHERS, LIMITED 
PRINTERS, LONDON AND WOKING 








LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
















